5 Quick Ways to Store Your Writing Ideas

Are you a writer? An aspiring author? A serious scribe? Or maybe just a part-time blogger? Most writers will complain that they do not have enough time to write, or they are never near a keyboard when an idea strikes them. Chances are, you're included in this club (I know I am) and find yourself having a great writing idea at the most inopportune moment.

Writers' ideas tend to formulate from the subconscious and appear at their own unspecified time schedule. They flash in your mind while you sleep, stand in line, drive a car, or even in the bathroom. Any poet can tell you they've lost a delicious line because they didn't have any means to write it down at the grocery store.

A good writer has a responsibility to be ready to write at a moment's notice. Use these five easy ideas to be ready when your muse calls.

1. Small journal / pen or mechanical pencil

These are the easiest of all resources to acquire and carry. Any small pocket sized spiral or bound paper works, but I recommend carrying a famed Moleskine notebook, the type used for the past two centuries by famed authors and artists such as Hemingway and Van Gogh. They are light, durable, and easy to carry anywhere inside a pocket, purse or shoulder pack. Moleskines also offer a variety of paper such as lined, graphing, sketch, or ever musical stave paper.

If you are like me, you edit on the go and make corrections and changes while you write. An ever sharp mechanical pencil with replaceable eraser is just the thing for those like us who change their mind frequently. If you prefer a pen, stash a small ball point along with your Moleskine. Choose an inexpensive retractable pen rather than dealing with a loose or lost cap.

2. Digital Voice Recorder

Sometimes you just can't write it down. In that case say it! Long gone are the days when you had to carry a heavy tape recorder in a suitcase. Stop by any Best Buy, Circuit City, or Walmart and you'll find a myriad of affordable digital recording devices that can store up to 150 hours of material. They have no moving parts so battery consumption is minimal, and they are easily connected to your desktop or laptop for easy voice file downloads. A digital voice recorder can easily fit in your pocket and are great for saving reminders, ideas, narration, poems, or any good bit of line that can be transcribed later.

3. PDA

PDA's, or Personal Digital Assistants, are prominent in any technologically civilized country. New PDA's with all the bells and whistles spring up almost monthly. Most PDA's give you the option of tapping a virtual keyboard for input, as well as character recognition which allows you to write letters and numbers as quickly as the device can recognize it. Most also have a digital voice recorder and built-in microphone installed. If you can afford it, purchase a good PDA that has the capability to write, save files, and hook up to Wi-Fi and send emails. Otherwise, you can purchase a used PDA on E-Bay for less than $50.

4. PDA with keyboard

A good accessory to have along with your PDA is a portable keyboard. They can be anywhere from ¾ size to full size and fold up nicely for storage and portability. Hook up your PDA to the keyboard when you get a chance to sit down and write like in a coffee shop or restaurant.

5. laptop

Today's laptops are getting smaller and lighter. Although not as portable as pad & pen or a PDA, laptop computers are still a good way to boot up and write just about anywhere.

Don't be caught saying "au revoir" to your great ideas. At any moment you could think of the plot for your next chapter, or a title for your next blog post, or even a fabulous article idea. Be prepared to capture those ideas and store them for later. Your muse will thank you for paying attention.