I haven’t done a lot of writing lately. As I’ve mentioned previously on this blog, the last few months have been a bit challenging. Firstly, there was a change of jobs, several months into the year, which has required a bit of adjusting to. And following that, there were the health issues which I’m still working through (though I’m mostly up and about and close to full health again by now).

With these issues front and centre of my mind and the focus of my energy, other things have had to give, and one of those things has been my writing. I’ve had to pull back, in order to give myself the rest I’ve needed. Of course, I’m a writer, so the idea are still swirling around in my head. But I’ve had to restrain myself from taking any further action on any of them.

But this is not a state I can stand to keep myself in for too long. And now that several months have passed since the worst of the health issues, I know it’s time to get myself back into writing mode.

This isn’t always the easiest thing to achieve. When the brain has been sluggish for too long, it needs a bit of a kick to get itself purring along again. But that’s exactly what I intend to give it as I’m determined to get back on that writing horse and ride onwards towards the horizon.

The good news is that it’s starting to work. It’s a funny thing, but getting your brain back into ideas mode is almost like flicking a switch. It’s about making your mind receptive to ideas – to be open to stimuli as they’re encountered in a way that constantly considers how they could be turned into stories.

When my brain is in neutral mode, I just go about my day, concentrating on the things I need to negotiate at that particular moment and then quickly moving on. When it flicks over to story mode, it operates like a sieve, straining every idea for potential. Most of them get discarded fairly quickly – not everything can be turned into a worthwhile story.

But every so often, I’ll feel a little click inside my head. It’s like a buzz that causes my whole body to shiver. Sometimes, I’ll find myself laughing out loud. Other times, my face will break out into a smile. I know I’ve hit upon something.

The spur can be anything. A comment from a friend or work colleague. An image that will strike me when I’m out for a walk. Whatever it is, it’s a nice feeling, and in the last couple of weeks I’ve felt it three times. That’s three new story ideas begging to be written.

It’s great to be getting that buzz again. It will be an even better when those stories are signed, sealed and done.