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Short Post -- rediscovering a great idea

I think all writers know the thrill of conceiving an amazing story idea. Your eyes light up, you smile, your heart starts beating quickly. It's a lot like falling in love. You grab the nearest sheet of paper or your phone and you scribble the idea down as quickly as you can. You say, "One day," and then pat yourself on the back for being such a freaking genius. Sometimes, though, other projects get in the way, or you take a writing hiatus, or something else comes up, and you forget all about that germ of an idea you scribbled down. It gets lost in the sea of other story notes on your phone or under a pile of other papers on your desk, and it's out of sight, out of mind.

BUT THEN

THE THRILL OF DISCOVERY!

One day you're cleaning up or cleaning out, and you find that note with that long-forgotten story idea. Sometimes you say "Meh" and throw it away or delete it, not as impressed with it as you were when you first thought it up.

But other times, you read the note, and you read it again, and again, and your eyes light up, and you start to smile, and your heartbeat quickens, and you say, "Man, this is GOOD." Then you start envisioning the plot, the characters, the storyline, and when you might have time to actually start writing the thing. And you get excited all over again. I've just had one of these moments, and happily, mine is the latter response. Yesterday, I found a note on my desk as I was straightening up. I must have written it at least a year ago -- maybe longer than that. I'm ridiculously excited about this story, but with three others ahead of it -- a complete manuscript that I'm editing, a half-done YA romance that at least deserves a horrible first draft status, and my Ireland story that's been patiently waiting long enough -- I'll have to shelve this one until at least 2022.

This time, though, it's going in a much safer place. I'm not losing track of it again!

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