What’s in Your suitcase?

“I’m going on a trip and I’m going to take an alarm clock,” Susie said.

“I’m going on a trip and I’m going to take an alarm clock and a blanket,” Paula replied.

We worked our way through the alphabet filling our imaginary suitcase with elephants, pandas and a tricycle. The idea of each one sent us into a fit of giggles. Who could imagine the most outrageous item to take on our journey?

A writer has an idea bag at their disposal. It may be packed on a whim or stored away for a rainy day.

Where do we come up with ideas?

Exercise:

Ideas are generated by nuggets. What may feel like a useless bag of rocks for one project may turn into a treasure chest of gold for another. Try the following brainstorming tips.

1. Turn a popular song into a series of questions. What ideas come out of seeing the song from a different slant?
2. Read a poem backward. Start with the last line and move up. What happens to the thought process?
3. Google a business or hobby. Have you ever looked at life from an entrepreneur’s point of view?
4. Use a Thesaurus to follow the trail between words. Isn’t language amazing?
5. Use your Concordance to look up Scripture. What do you learn about the Author of words?
6. Use Bible passages to look at sentence positioning. Does one jump out at you in a new way?
7. Observe people in a mall or airport. How would you develop a story around questions you might ask about their destination, appearance or companions?

What thought starters are in your imaginary suitcase?

Maybe you’ve started a composition book or a computer file with whimsical sayings. Maybe you’ve toyed with them while daydreaming. What do they say to you? Why do they tickle your fancy?

Look at two verses that say almost the same thing—or do they?

“All things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27 NIV

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37 NKJV

“For no word from God will ever fail.” Luke 1:37 NIV

How does a different translation change your approach to what it says?

The next time you are looking for that illusive word, remember God loves the art of communication. Ask Him for a nudge in the right direction and you’ll come up with a fresh angle for your WIP.

Your Bible is a treasure chest of words!

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net