Snowblowers, slush, and inspirations…
Yet again I’m sitting in my favorite dark corner of my favorite diner, thawing out with a hot bowl of soup and being bad with a plate of fries slathered in ketchup. I have a theory that once the temperature drops this low, calories don’t count — they’re negated by the energy it takes just to keep from going hypodermic. And besides, a little extra padding this time of year is just bonus insulation — not that anyone would see the difference under layers of sweaters, long-johns and puffy down coats. So if you’re somewhere that isn’t getting hit with two to three winter storms a week, with trees glistening like they were crystal sculptures and roads of salt, sand, packed ice and potholes, savor your sunshine and warm breezes.
I honestly believe it’s times like these that being a writer is part of what’s getting me through. It’s a case of mind over matter, and while my body may shivering, in my mind, my characters are a whole lot warmer, and have bigger worries than digging out from the latest wintry mix. And even as I’m wrestling with a snowblower, they’re wrestling with life-or-death decisions. It’s enough to almost take my mind off the freezing rain. Almost.
There’s one problem with this whole ice storm/snowblower/voices-in-my-head equation — keeping track of all that inspiration when I can’t feel my fingers, no less scribble down these brilliant brainstorms on what would likely become paper-mache with a pen where the ink has frozen solid. (And trust me, I’ve discovered this by trial and error… lots of errors. The solution? Evernote.
For anyone unfamiliar with Evernote, it’s a handy little free app you can install on your phone, tablet, computer, or simply access on-line as needed. Think of it as a digital notepad, one where you can scribble, type, or even recite whatever ideas arise, whenever, where ever they come to mind. With my phone tucked into a waterproof case, I can dictate thoughts as I’m clearing snow, walking the dogs in the rain, at 3 a.m., and even while I shower, where my muses seem particularly fond of inspiring me. It allows you to organize your notes into as many notebooks as you see fit, incorporate links, photos, audio recordings, audio to text, as well as create checklists, set reminders, and I know there’s a few more features I’ve yet to utilize. It all syncs automatically, so notes added on the computer appear in your phone and vice-versa. From there, it’s a small digital copy-and-paste into Scrivener. Which makes me extremely happy, considering the ideas presently finding their way into my chapters came into existence while I couldn’t feel my fingers, toes, or nose. Any any app that can do that is a win in my book, quite literally.
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