Writing tip of the day: Moments like these

My daughter left for school today carrying her bejewelled notebook and fluffy pink pen. 

I told her she reminded me of one of my favourite characters growing up: Harriet the Spy.

Just like Harriet, I still walk around with a notebook and pen—only these days, I mostly take and save notes to my iPhone: interesting conversations, things overheard and captured. I file them away under “Misc” on my computer and take a peek every now and again when I’m short of ideas.

In that folder, I collect other things: Newspaper headlines, interesting facts, thoughts, pictures, impressions. Anything that makes me wonder. Makes me want to come back to it again. 

Like I did today.

Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, these little scraps of memories, recollections, things witnessed, read and overheard, can provide inspiration and also help you flesh out what you’ve currently got going on on the page.

Some people throw away moments like these, but to me, they are everything. 

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