Every story has a beginning – starting now

“The beginning is the most important part of the work”
– Plato, The Republic.

If ever there was a time to look to nature for inspiration for creative beginnings, it’s Spring, when buds open and flowers bloom, revealing their true potential. Some blossoms are already blooming, others still in bud, desperate to open up and be seen. Nature, especially Spring is a reflection of the creative potential in all of us.

“Once upon a Time….”

At Collab Writers, we’ve had so many people tell us about their ideas for books or screenplays. The most common challenge of our members is how to start and how to make time to write.

“Creative beginnings are not a dark art. Like seedlings, ideas can be planted.
If watered and tended to they will grow.
When ready to be shared with the world, they will bloom.”
– Jennie Griffiths, Co-Founder, Collab Writers.

Hang out at your local coffee shop – J.K.Rowling style

If you can’t think of ideas, go outside and earwig the chatter on the table next to you in your local coffee shop (there’s your dialogue – raw and real). If movement is your thing, go ride the tube or a bus (you’ll be surrounded by characters everywhere you look – their physical attributes, style, clothing and habits and traits.) The world we live in is a multitude of walking, talking stories.

Be still and know

Often, silence – quietening your mind can create a flow of ideas. Exercise can have a similar result. Ideas often come when we are in the flow of life.

“If you can dream it, you can do it”
– Walt Disney

If you’ve been procrastinating on the words that follow “Once upon a time” pick up your pen, open your lappie and just write. If you can’t, use the microphone on your mobile device or computer. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. It really is that easy.

I bet you’re reading this and thinking, I work 9-5, that’s never going to happen…then I need to cook, be with my family, exercise and then it’s groundhog day, all over again.

You’re not alone, most of us ride the same gravy train. This blog is being written at 10pm after a hard day’s work. Here are some reminders from Dolly Parton’s 9-5:

“There’s a better life and you think about it, don’t you”
“You’ve got dreams, they’ll never take away.”
– Dolly Parton

Habit maketh man/woman

If it’s routine you need to keep those dreams alive, here’s one I made earlier:

Write – repeat – write – repeat – seven days a week. If you can’t write 6 days out of 7, write one day a week and repeat!

“Energy and persistence conquer all things”
– Benjamin Franklin

Choose to carry on or snooze and lose. Up to you, really! If that doesn’t motivate you, here’s some wisdom from the Godfather of creativity:

“Action is the foundation key to all success”
– Pablo Picasso

If you need an example closer to home, take a leaf out of Collab Writers’ soon to be finished book….we wrote ‘Consequences’ on our commutes, en route to our 9-5s, poetry in motion and we loved every minute of it! We will leave you with a quote from the magician of storytelling, Dr Seuss:

“You have brains in your head
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.”

I’ve started, so I’ll finish….look out for our next blog on “how to finish” and if we’ve not posted that within the next month, hunt us down and keep us to our word!