There’s never a bad story/book idea to write down. That doesn’t mean you should write it, but it does mean that you should write the idea down IMMEDIATELY! 

Ideas come when you’re sleeping, when you’re driving, when you’re sitting waiting for something, when you’re talking with friends, when you’re watching something on television. They come at all times in all forms. 

My encouragement is that you get the idea down. 

I always have some kind of notebook or notepad around with me. If I don’t, I find a pen somehow and write the idea on my hand. Then I transpose the idea to my current writing journal (see writing tip #21). 

Here’s an example of how I do this. For some time I’ve had in mind the idea to write a story that has a similar set-up as a classic movie from the ’50s. Hollywood remade it into another movie in the 70’s, and for a while I thought it was going to be another Henry Wolfe adventure (ah, poor Henry Wolfe). 

I’ve debated about making this story set around WW2 or set in contemporary times. I like the idea of making the story take place now. 

So I got an idea out of the blue while in the kitchen last week–same storyline except that it’s got a fabulous twist! A really good, dark one. 

Of course I wrote this idea down right away. The morning I’m transposing it into my 2009 writing journal in the section that has ideas. So far I have about a dozen ideas in this for this year (I have ten journals from previous years full of ideas–some good and some bad). 

Nobody will ever have to see your ideas when they’re in your journals. But save them! You never know when the time will come when you’re looking for inspiration or an idea, or you’re thinking to yourself I once came up with a fabulous idea but can’t remember where I put it . . .