I quite forgot to blog yesterday! Not sure what went wrong, but with some reflection, I'll figure it out. Today I wanted to touch briefly on brainstorming and talking out ideas. I won't be chatting on beta readers because I never get responses from them. More on that later.
Some smart person at some point in time once said that Sherlock Holmes would not be as good if he did not have his John Watson. This may be true, but what we do know is that Holmes was indeed revered and asked to help Scotland Yard many times before Watson even came into the scene.
Modern depictions of Holmes show Watson as a kind of humanizing presence for Holmes, helping him relate to the Everyman and helping be less...d-bagish. This is mildly present in the old stories I enjoy so much from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But really Watson is there to lend an audience. Holmes does well with someone to talk to. He can think out loud, bounce ideas off Watson. Sometimes, Watson even gives a little tid bit that sets Holmes off in the right direction. For all we know, Holmes became a much better (consulting) detective after Watson appeared in his life.
My point is, talk your ideas over with fellow writer friends or even a willing normal friend or family member. If you are so lucky as to have someone who will listen. They don't even have to say anything. If they just sit there while you talk, asking occasionally "Ok, but why?", you will find your way out of that paper bag that is your plot conundrum. Or you will have a fleshed out idea. Writing is about communicating and communicating helps your writing. I know not everyone is lucky enough to have someone to listen to their ideas. Some of us are very alone: no beta readers, no writer friends, family could not care less for whatever reason.
I have a brother who likes to talk to me about his story ideas and I pitch mine to him sometimes. But I feel like I am bugging him with my ideas. Also, he is new into writing and talks about 50 times more about his story than I do with mine. But I let him talk. He's just discovering the agony and pain that is writing stories! But sometimes, I want to talk. Now, I don't have a solution to how to get your story in edge-wise. Maybe that's another blog post for another day. But the point is, you HAVE to talk your ideas over. It really helps and gets the creative juices flowing. Talking to someone about your story inspires you.
So, Sherlock Holmes, get out there and find a Watson!