If you’ve ever written anything simply because you wanted to, I’m sure you can agree that there are many things that drove you. There are a handful of reasons I enjoy – no, crave – writing, but I want to talk about the one that keeps me going.

You can write a story anywhere.

Now, I’m not talking about pen-to-paper, fingers flying over the keyboard.

I guess what I’m really talking about is creating. Imagining is a huge part of writing, whether it’s fiction or not. A lot of thinking goes into your writing before you actually start to put words on a page. That is my favorite part.

You get to let your brain play. In writing, there are no limits, and if you’ve chosen to write fiction, you make your own rules. And not just with words and sentence structure. Some of the best creative elements in stories I’ve read – and even some plot points in my own stories – were born out of necessity when a writer has backed themselves into a corner. I think a large amount of plot twists come to life after an author has an “oh crap” moment and their brain went into overdrive trying to think of a creative way to move the story forward.

So, how do you create the story before you put it on paper?

Every writer has a different method, but most of my stories take form while I’m listening to music. Lyrics don’t always inspire me, but melodies do. The ache and yearning of a song can spin wonders in my head. So half the time, my books get “written” in my car while I’m running errands, while I’m cleaning house, or when I’m on my way to pick up my kid from school. I may not be putting pen to paper or meeting my word count goals in those moments, but the most essentially parts of my writing happen in my car or when I’m moving around with headphones on and music in my ears.

So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t limit yourself. Don’t expect all of your story to come out of your brain the minute you sit at your computer. Let yourself play and be creative. Have fun with your own brain because it’s the one thing you do carry with you everywhere. Make notes in your phone if you think you’ll forget something, but imagine, imagine, imagine as you go through your day. Constantly be working by playing in your mind. It can change your whole view of the writing process when you stop limiting yourself to only creating when you’re in front of a keyboard.

If you’re starting a new story, or perhaps writing a book for the first time, good luck! You can do it. Just keep finding ways to be creative, and keep setting aside time to put words on the page, and you’ll get there.

Happy writing!