Procrastination?… No, I'm thinking!

Why do today what you can put off til tomorrow!. All house is clean and tidied, drop files re-labelled and organised, I don't even have any marking to do really… and still I haven't started on my book. Really stumped. Thinking about it so much, trying to get my ideas together about what kids want to be reading about, what can inspire my protagonist  why someone would be against him, how much technology to use in the writing, as it's dated so quickly…… I guess there's a lot of background thought going on for my book and until I really know what it's going to be about and what the message I'm trying to get across is, it's pretty hard to get going. I think a lot of writers must have a dream or an opinion that they want to share. I'm not really there. Just know I want it to have some form of time travel and fantasy elements, mainly because that's what interests me. They say you should write about what you know - well I know about kids and teaching and schools, so that sort of steers me too. I know I want it to appeal to boys, but really, I know more about girls (my own,) so I'm still working through on that one.
I AM thinking, and there's a lot of thought going on. Don't beat yourself up girl, calling yourself a procrastinator…celebrate and be positive about the work going on in the old grey matter. It'll come together with a bit more thought and inspiration.
Now there's a rambling run of thoughts!

A Freshly Laundered Sky

It's funny when you find your inspiration from your 8 year old daughter. Makes you question your own sense of creativity, but I was quite taken by something daughter no 1 said yesterday.

We were driving along in the car, as she piped up from the back, "The sky is so blue and fresh, it looks like it's just come out of the washing machine."

Beautiful.

I guess it's the sort of  thing I encourage my students to come up with in our creative writing sessions. So simple, yet says so much.

If my eight year old can do it - sure as hell, so can I!

As I was considering the freedom of being able to write about anything I wanted and 'letting it flow,' I guess similar images were conjured in my mind. I saw an article recently about an artist who draws beautiful designs in a newly washed beach, spending  hours to create something incredible, only for it to be washed away again by the next tide.

http://www.viralnova.com/beach-art/

That beach, that 'clean page' is where I am now, yet feeling inspired to turn it into something beautiful with my own hand. And this is my space and this is my time.

The First 'Golden Day'

So I dropped off the kids and walking home, was filled with thoughts about what I wanted to achieve on this, my first Golden Day of the year. I coined the phrase "Golden Day' years ago when daughter No1 had her first day at Day Care. A Golden Day is one of those precious days when you're not working and have no kids to look after - so it's all about you.

My thoughts were flowing thick and fast…. about getting on the blog and writing my first 'proper' post of the year, taking out all the old notes I made years ago when I first felt I should get writing a children's' book, maybe even actually beginning the first chapter - letting it flow and see where it goes...

When I returned home, I thought about it while I was hanging out the washing, I thought really hard while I was vacuuming, thought long and hard while prepping the kids dinner for tonight, had ideas for inspirational photos whilst cleaning the bathrooms…..and then I sat down to start...

… and I'm left with an hour before they get home. But I've had lots of thoughts!

And oh, look - there's my post. Not quite what I had in mind, but it's a start!