The Eternal Question: What Should I Write?
How can you find the story you are supposed to write? The most important truth to carry with you as you journey forth to find your next story is: it doesn’t matter how you find your next story. Writing a story that can change your life means allowing material that is bubbling in your non-conscious mind to come to consciousness in some form that isn’t too frightening. The beauty of this truth is that no matter what you are writing, the material will float into your consciousness and your writing as long as you let it.
We have a Rule for Writing: “Make friends with your subconscious.” We’ve been trained to control that nasty reservoir of lusts, our subconscious, but it’s also where your best material floats around to marinate. Give your subconscious a hug. It’s part of you, and there’s plenty of good stuff down there. Maybe if you give it a little respect it will send you some great ideas.
___________________________________________________________________
In terms of your writing, your non-conscious mind holds voluminous material. When a non-conscious idea bubbles up, through a dream or in mediation or daydreaming, respect it. Understand that you are receiving your best material. Your non-conscious mind is your friend and will send you what you need. When your idea veers off in a strange direction, follow it. The key, again, is not getting in the way of the idea that is ready to tap you on the shoulder.
So how do you find your next story? There are two ways:
- Go out and search for it.
- Sit back and tell it to find you.
Both approaches work. I personally prefer to tell it to find me, because while I’m waiting I can get a lot of gardening done.
What do you have to do to have your story find you? Read on…