Let It Go. Your mind, I mean

I've briefly touched on in the About and FAQ sections how I write any and everywhere, and that probably sounds like so much BS. I mean, really, who can do that if you take it literally. Even when I carried a yellow pad seemingly everywhere I went, it wasn't everywhere. And my thumbs don't type that quickly - a couple of sentences of texting is my my outer limit. 

So what do I really mean by writing "any and everywhere?" For me, a large portion of my writing is done anywhere but in front of my computer, or with a writing implement in hand. It is done in my head, and like everyone else, I carry that instrument wherever I go. Some of my favorite places to write are while I'm driving, when I'm in the shower, or my all-time favorite and extremely productive location, Disney World resort buses and standing in line for rides. It I know. It sounds dorky, but here's how it works for me. 

I tune out everything around me (including small children, but not traffic lights and cars). When possible, I listen to music. It focuses me, I give myself a suggestion to start the process. For example, at one point, Elizabeth and Danny leave Donnelly College for a few days to attend a movie premiere in New York City. I begin with this one thought, New York movie premiere. I imagine the venue and premieres that I've attended there. I picture the guests, how they are dressed, the food they are eating, and which of my characters will be present. By the time the stop light turns green, the dialogue and exposition are forming. I replay the scene over and over, improving it each time, until finally I am either back home with my computer, or I've found a yellow pad.

But what it comes down to is this - I let it go, my mind. I tune out my surroundings, and let imagination take over. By letting it go, creativity has room to blossom.