Permission to (Day)dream

I mentioned in an earlier post that ideas tend to come at the least convenient times. I'm coming to think it's more than that. My ideas refuse to be called on demand. I can't place two fingers on each temple and will forth an image that will fit into the structure I've been working on. The process works more like this...

1. I start doing something utterly unrelated to writing which requires my full attention e.g. driving, programming or sleeping.
2. The images fly unbidden into my mind at a rate quite unsuited to my lack of a pen or paper, or even a free piece of attention to dedicate to them.

I spent twenty minutes in the car tonight trying to hold two separate ideas in memory. When I got home I scrawled them on the first piece of paper I could get hold of and the ideas became static. I think my subconscious is better at developing story ideas than I am.

As a child I had the same over-active imagination and was often told I spent too much time day dreaming. I used to think this was a bad thing. Now I realise that it's an utterly critical tool. So if find yourself drifting away in the middle of a boring task, don't reel yourself in. Let the images flow and, when you see one you can use, grab hold of it, write it down, use it. Give yourself permission to day dream.

Just... you know... don't crash your car in the meantime.