(Originally written Apr. 16 2003)

There are two parts to writing. Finding a topic, and having the time and inclination to expand the topic and put it on paper. These two rarely coincide. When you set asside some time to write, you haven't a clue what to write about. When you go and busy yourself away from a recording device, your mind stumbles upon sheer genius. It's happened to everyone who writes anything I'd expect, and it's a problem that isn't easily solved. How do you get a good idea to coincide with an opertunity to write?

Well, here are a few possible solutions:
1) Orient your day in a fashion that you're always near a pen and paper, and so that you may halt at any time to record your thoughts. This would be ideal. If you can manage this then I'd like to know how you've done it so I can copy you.

2) Keep a pen and notepad with you at all times so that you may record any thoughts briefly for later expansion. This is my method of preference, and it's recommended for anyone. Although it's sometimes difficult to remember a notepad.

3) Keep yourself extraordinarily busy whenever you're away from your writing area. In this way you are blocking all ideas until you are ready to accept them. I can't do this. It's just impossible for me.

4) Attempt to force a topic when you are sitting in front of paper. I think this is what most pop artists do. Force ideas out of your skull, and end up unwittingly with the same garbage every time.

5) Busy yourself when you're sitting in front of paper, in hopes that an idea will come from your toil. This includes writing exercises, juggling, doodling, or whatever. I like this method too. It seems to work most of the time.

6) Stare at your paper and try to make an idea form directly ON the paper. This doesn't work. I've tried.

7) Alter your state of mind with a beverage or substance. This usually works, but I think it falls under #5. It's arguable whether the substance is the cause of your ideas, or the mere act of taking the substance is the cause. You can get comparable effects by cooking pancakes - as is the case with the article I'm currently writing.

8) Take someone else's idea. This can either be pure plagarism, theft of a topic, or criticism of another work. This is an effective way to write, as one of the key elements is taken care of by external energies.

9) Give up after 5 minutes and try again later. This is sometimes a necessary option. You're not always in the right mindset for writing.

10) Give up for a month and then try again. Thos is sometimes an option that is chosen accidentally or subconsciously. It happens that you put down the pen and just don't think about picking it back up again for a while. It's always nice when this happens, because when going back to it you DO have a refreshed view!