Sowing Seeds

Have you ever planted flowers or vegetables from seeds? It takes a lot of time and patience, and you get fewer plants than the seeds than you started with. Some of them never come up. You thin other ones out. Some don’t thrive.

Eventually you end up with poppies or tomatoes or whatever, and it’s miraculous.

Creativity works like that. You’ve got to plant a lot of seeds. Put a lot of ideas out and see what blooms.

Here’s the March Challenge

Every day this month, sow a seed of an idea. Write it in a journal or a file where you collect thoughts and inspiration. It might be:

• An idea for a blog post
• A scene for a novel
• A clever story

Don’t make it a full-fledged piece—not yet. Don’t give it the weight of developing it. Just capture a germ of an idea.

We don’t get too attached to the individual seeds we plant—not until they’ve grown and show potential. So don’t get too attached to your ideas.

Go for quantity and let quality work itself out.

By the end of March, you will have developed a “topic-generating” muscle. You may have ideas you can turn into something wonderful.

If have heard me talk about the Muse and Scribe, this exercise is all about welcoming the Muse into your life.

Got plenty of ideas already?

If you’re have a strong and productive Muse and you’re already surrounded by ideas, your challenge is a little different.

Every day, tend to one of those ideas. Do the next step.

• Write one more thing.
• Talk with someone about your idea.
• Search for related ideas (or ask ChatGPT)

Think of this like providing a new seedling with water and sunlight.

Pick a few ideas and nurture them. See if you can make them grow into something bigger by the end of the month.

I’ll be back in April.

Related content

Take the Muse Quiz

February Writing Challenge

January Writing Challenge