Seize your writing ideas by the ‘tail’ before they escape

Capturing your ideas when they strike is essential for anyone who takes their writing seriously.

It’s not just about remembering an idea; it’s about seizing it at the moment it’s most potent.

To understand the full depth of this, I always remind myself of the inspiring story of the American poet Ruth Stone, highlighted in Elizabeth Gilbert’s insightful book Big Magic.

Stone depicted her creative process in an extraordinarily vivid manner. Amidst her work on a rural Virginia farm, she often felt a poem thundering toward her, much like a wild horse galloping across the plains, untamed and uncontrollable.

Imagine the scene: Stone, feeling the surge of inspiration, would have to dash, matching pace with the incoming poem.

Her goal?

To reach a piece of paper and a pencil before the poem stormed past her, leaving her in its creative dust. If she weren’t quick enough, the poem would simply roar through her and dissipate, perhaps to find another, readier poet.

But when she did manage to catch a poem “by the tail,” the scene changed. She’d almost physically pull it back into her, transcribing the words onto the page in a reverse sequence — from the last word to the first.

I could almost imagine the sigh of relief she uttered as the last captured word was written.

How dramatic!

But that’s the true nature of inspiration. It’s fleeting, unpredictable, and often very dramatic.

Just like Ruth Stone, we also must be ready to grab our ideas by the tail before they escape us and find another writer or simply disappear into the ether, never to be caught again.

Poet Ruth Stone

Capturing tools

Over the years, I’ve experimented with countless tools and apps to help me capture my ideas swiftly and efficiently. Some were more effective than others, but ultimately, I found that the most basic tools often worked the best.

Apple Notes became my go-to tool, providing a frictionless platform for quickly jotting down my thoughts.

I developed a system of organized folders, each dedicated to a specific writing platform, allowing me to store ideas as and when they appeared.

However, there are times when stopping to write down an idea isn’t an option. That’s where another tool, Otter, comes into play. By simply voicing your ideas, you can delegate their capture to this helpful tool, transforming it into a robust capture system.

The result of using these tools is a shift in your writing process. No longer do you sit down to write with a blank page and a blank mind. Instead, you are met with a wealth of pre-recorded ideas, allowing you to write from a place of abundance, not scarcity.

Remember, your capture system doesn’t have to be complex.

With just two simple tools — Otter and Apple Notes — you can create a potent content-creation machine.

So, fellow writers, let’s take inspiration from Ruth Stone. Let’s be ready to grab our ideas by the tail before they escape us, vanishing into a black hole of forgotten thoughts.

Keep the spark.

*********************************************************************************************

➡️ I have distilled my over two decades of writing and publishing experience into an online academy where I provide courses and coaching. Learn with me here.

🎙️ Podcast: If you want to hear interviews with authors and publishing industry professionals, make sure to check out my podcast, Read and Write with Natasha

➡️ Or you might want to sign up for my cohort: “Monetize your writing: