Waiting For The Fish

“Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper. Down deep, the fish are more powerful and more pure. They’re huge and abstract. And they’re very beautiful.” – David Lynch.

Ideas develop. They grow. They need time and pollination from other parts of life. Other works of art. Other things you read and listen. A spark when they sit next to something unexpected. The brain makes the connection. It’s not fast. At times, it’s frustratingly slow. But it’s fascinating and it’s the process. It is worth it.

A lot of my time writing is sitting and letting ideas float around, brush up against each other. A new way to tell an author’s story reveals itself, structuring the story through theme instead of chronology. Or listening back to the interview reveals that essential point that the book is really about. The whole story is reframed. A new perspective gives the writing a fresh vibe.

Give yourself that chance to sit with ideas. Let your brain work through what is there, find the connections that are unexpected. The writing deserves it.