The magic and mystery of writing just happens. 

Last night I finished reading a novel and nodded off to sleep on the couch close to midnight (and no, I wasn’t in the doghouse with my wife, it’s just that I’m a night owl). When I woke up, still groggy and half-asleep, a quote came to mind for the book I’m currently writing. 

This is the magic of writing. At anytime and anyplace, inspiration can strike. 

I grabbed my laptop that was resting on the couch next to me and emailed myself the line. 

It might possibly be the defining line to the novel I’m writing. It’s something that one character says to another near the end of the story. It’s beautiful and touching. Yeah, I’m biased because it’s my writing, but if I do the story well enough, the line will work. 

If you write long enough you’ll know this: the magic sometimes just happens. You don’t have to have the right workspace or need to be in the right mood or need to be in the right frame of mind. There is nothing that needs to be right when you’re writing. Sometimes the magic happens when you least expect it. 

All you need to do is be prepared. Don’t let the words escape. Get them down somewhere. And then maybe, just maybe, they will fit.