How do you do it?

Have you ever been in that awful writing slump where you just can't find the words for, well, anything? Whether it's a simple description of a swirled lollipop or a mere "Hello!" exchanged between your characters? Or even just a name - that one character you just can't place, and without their identity, your story can't progress?

Or, hey, even something less complicated - like writing a blog post?


But then there's hope! You're working part-time, going to school, going to the gym, hanging out with friends, making sure to catch the latest GLEE episode, and suddenly it hits you: the words you've been looking for! But how are you going to get them down without forgetting? And why did they have to show up now, when you're incredibly busy and can't give them the attention they deserve?

Oh, but surely you can do it! Look at J.K. Rowling, who wrote bits of Harry Potter on napkins. If she can do it, so can you! But you don't have any napkins. So you'll have to improvise. You don't have a pen, either. You've got your bag and your white chocolate mocha latte, and you're on the move.

And then another thing hits you: your phone! Of course, you can use your phone to store your inspiration! You text furiously, going going going, while everyone around you asks if you're writing a novel to someone. Why yes, you are. In fact, that is exactly what you're doing. You are writing a novel and sending it to yourself. You hit send and suddenly you're relieved. You didn't lose it. You found the words and you didn't lose them.

However, the next time you sit down to write, you either forget about having texted such brilliant work to yourself, or it's no longer useful to you and you've moved on. It's a major catch-22.


To make a long story short, this is what typically happens to me. Sometimes I wish I didn't prefer typing over handwriting, so I'd be more motivated to carry a notebook around with me to store ideas. But no, I use my phone. I have racked up around thirty six texts to myself, including various ideas for names, plots, and even small snippets of poetry - all of which I never incorporate in whatever story I may be working on at the time.

But what about you? How do you get the words out? Do you use your phone? Or do you carry that nifty little notebook (but then how do you carry that delicious latte?)?