Joshua_Caldwell at 2013-09-26 12:56:42:

Great article, Scott. Found myself doing this last night and realized I need to find more specific time for it. Not just let it happen accidentally but actually put time and focus towards it. Not the easiest thing in the world these days with distractions like the Internet, Twitter, iPhones, email and more. Anyone have any tips or thoughts on the best way to disconnect and force oneself to do this? Obviously, disconnecting the internet and so on but sometimes it's easier said than done. I often find that the best thing for me is late night, after my wife has gone to bed, I'll sit in my office and just think and jot down notes to myself. It's usually the easiest time because rarely is there anything else for me to be paying attention to.

Scott at 2013-09-26 13:25:10:

Joshua, I'm a late night kinda guy, so I can echo your thoughts. Something about the darkness, no phone calls, quietude that is conducive for all sorts of creative engagement. Re social media, computer, iPhone, etc: If we're talking intentional mind wandering, best to get away from all that, take an actual pad of paper and an actual pen and deposit our actual fanny on an actual chair in an actual room away from all that virtual stuff. The temptation to check email or Twitter or whatever is the techno equivalent of our monkey brain chatter when we try to write or meditate. Finally there is a type of intentional mind wandering I recommend in terms of character development, what I call a 'sit down.' You can do this with pad of paper and pen, but I prefer the computer. I shut off phone, close all programs on my computer except Word, open a Word doc, then imagine a character in a story I'm developing. I set a timer for 30 minutes, get quiet, fingers on keyboard, close my eyes, then just let go. I type whatever I type. Generally I try to be in a space where I'm connected to this character, but if my mind goes off on a tangent, I'll follow that for awhile, unless it's just chatter, then redirect back to the character. All sorts of things can happen. Bits of their backstory possibilities pop up. Images. Sounds. Smells. Lines of dialogue. They can go into a monologue. I can find myself interviewing them. Whatever it is, I type it all down. No deleting, no editing, just direct translation of what I'm experiencing in my mind to the keyboard and into that Word file. Much of it will not be of direct impact or value, but indirectly it could all be part of a process to help connect with the character. Plus there are diamonds and gold that emerge, almost inevitably, at least that's what I find. Curious to see what others do in the way of mind wandering...

Kalen at 2013-09-26 21:06:57:

Awesome article. I love this type of stuff! I consider myself a professional mind wanderer. I really do. When I was younger, people (including myself) would think I was being ditzy or unfocused. As I grew older, and as I became more interested in writing, I realized this once-thought-of "poisonous" trait actually was an asset -- and a huge one at that. At this point in my life, after maturing and studying the craft of writing for many years, I now consider my ability to "mind wander" my greatest strength. It's as much a part of me as anything. And I love it. I get no greater satisfaction out of anything than when I'm able to just let my mind go, follow it wherever it takes me, and jot down whatever comes to mind. In regards to Joshua's question above: I find mind wandering -- for me at least -- is really more a state of mind than anything. I mind wander all the time: at work, in the car, showering, cooking, cleaning, etc. I think you really just have to be a curious person, constantly asking questions about things in life, and you'll find those questions will form a foundation for subjects that are interesting to write about. But if you're looking for a way to specifically find that special place, I'd suggest being alone. Maybe take a drive or read something interesting. Get your brain working (but not too much!) and see where it takes you. It's best to get inspired some way too. Then, once the gears in your brain are moving, start jotting down whatever comes to you. And make sure, no matter what, that you follow whatever comes to your mind. Don't limit yourself. Just go where the wind takes you, so to speak. Good luck! Hope this helps.

Scott at 2013-09-27 04:47:45:

Kalen, thanks for this. How many times have we read or heard of someone coming up with a great idea when they were in the shower... or jogging... driving... on a walk. Their minds elsewhere (wandering), when suddenly -- BOOM! I can't swear there is a connection, but I BELIEVER there is one: We put in hard work in a conscious manner on our stories and somehow that magically prepares our imaginations to generate the occasional great idea. One thing, Kalen: Curiosity is so important to all aspects of writing and creativity. The entire Prep-writing class I teach is founded on an extensive series of questions I present to participants, each a bridge with which to travel 'into' characters, and from that find and develop their stories. Curiosity may kill the cat... but it brings stories to life.

Roman Sidenko at 2013-09-27 04:52:45:

BTW, it is GREAT advice to turn on analogue tools, lol. The trick here is to surprise your routine. Real notepad, or just dozen of separate sheets of paper, real pencil, etc. Leave the digital stuff in another room. And when you get there (daydream state), you eventually will find yourself quite lazy to get out to check email. And I also think that while you’re in this state it will become more and more tense, and in the end I’ll jump out of the table. This book is came to mind http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwtape_Letters .