On January 6th I downloaded a new-to-me audio book, The Year of the Flood by Margret Attwood from the Houston Public Library's Digital Catalogue. (Side note: I heart downloading audio books from the library! The files just expire when your time is up so you never have to worry about incurring an late fee. Not that I'm bad about that or anything *cough cough*) I was in the middle of listening to chapter 1 while plugging away at a statistical analysis on water well pumpage for a suburban community, an idea for a new story line hit me like a beer truck.
While most people would be overjoyed to have been pounced on by a plot bunny that excited them this much, I was substantially annoyed.
My inner monologue went something like this, "SERIOUSLY!?!?! I've barely started chipping away at my NaNoWriMo manuscript. WHY IS THIS ACCOSTING ME NOW!?!?!" Well truthfully, I'm annoyed and excited. I really do love this idea for a post-apocalyptic science-fiction story that just manifested from the dark depths of my cerebral cortex. I love it so much it's really difficult not to completly abandon my NaNo novel for a while just so I can flesh out this idea.
While I'm figuring out just what to do with this rogue plot bunny that I'm head over heels for, I wanted to put this situation forth as evidence that reading is just as important to a writer as is the act of writing itself.
Although I love reading with a passion. It's one of the first things to get squeezed out of my schedule when things in life get busy. And as proven by the events above, that can only be to the detriment of my writing life.
P.S. I'm not finished with listening to the book yet, but so far it's really fabulous.
Ha! I love it/hate it when that happens! I mostly write short stories, and I'll be editing one story, and an idea for a new story will pop into my head. I'll start the new story and my wife will say, "You're starting a new one already? Did you finish the last one?" and I'll say "Um... almost." Que eyeroll.
Plot bunnies always appear when I'm in the shower, which is probably the most inconvenient place for them to show up. There are waterproof notebooks you can get for the shower, but I'm not sure if I want to go that far.
Jenica, the same thing happens to me. Especially when I'm in the trenches working on a first draft of something. The cliche of "Ideas happen in the shower" exists for a reason...it's because it's true.
I love listening to audio books; I spend two hours a day listening, and consider myself an addict.
I love audio books but would only use them on the bus so it doesn't pay for me now.
I am fine whenever ideas come because there is always a little voice in the back of my head saying, "This could very well be your last decent idea... ever." lol Not really but hey, it has crossed my mind a time or two.