Morgan MacDonald : Today we are talking about where the heck good ideas come from… Tracy, how are you doing today?
Tracy Borgmeyer ( https://twitter.com/tracyborgmeyer ) : Carpool?
Morgan MacDonald : … Carpool?…No. Actually, I just got a new phone. I’m upgraded. I’m on a 6+ now, so I’m outside of AT&T.But my husband is working from home today, so I don’t have my cool little office setup. So I was like, “Well, I’ll do my Scope in the car.” So here we are. I’m NOT driving. You can see the stationary scenery in the background. There’s a big “No Scope and Drive” campaign.
Tracy Borgmeyer ( https://twitter.com/tracyborgmeyer ) : Nice.
Morgan MacDonald : …Thanks…. So I saw Darnell come in. So yáll say “Hi!” as you’re coming in. How are yáll doing today? Everyone good? I’ll assume yáll are good.
So today we are talking about where the heck good writing ideas come from. So this week has been a lot about motivation and inspiration in our writing. And we’ve, kind of, been hovering around a really important point that I want to hit on today. That is the sense that…
Darnell Cureton ( https://twitter.com/DarnellCureton ) : Hey Morgan. Good to see you.
Morgan MacDonald : … Hey Darnell. Yeah, good to see you too… That’s the sense that there’s this great mystery in a writer’s life, that it seems like good ideas just hit us from out of nowhere. I mean, yáll have probably heard similar phrases, but I know you hear people talk about getting a “divine download”, or inspiration from the muse, or having a “Paul on the road to Damascus” moment, where something just HITS us, and we’re like, “Wow! That’s a great idea!” And it feels like it comes out of nowhere. So I really want to talk a little more about that… Ah, Tracy knows what I’m talking about [laughter]. I see the hearts. Thanks yáll. Thanks Miguel…
I want to delve a little bit deeper into that, because I think there’s some truth for us to dig into. So how do we tap into this mysterious source of…
Shalon Ironroad : ( https://twitter.com/ShalonIronroad ) : Hi!
Morgan MacDonald : …Hey Shalon. Welcome… So how do we tap into this mysterious source of like brilliant writing ideas? I think that we actually CAN put in some intentional practices, not only to tap into the good ideas, but to honestly steward the gifts that we’ve been given.
I’m going to, kind of, veer off a little bit from the practical, and embrace more or a worldview around the writing. So, kind of, bear with a little bit. But I think the first thing we can do – so one thing is a mindset shift, and then [the second is] practical things, because you know I’ve got to do practical.
The first is a mindset shift. I really think that it would be good if we could learn to embrace a mindset of abundance. So maybe this is, kind of, a new vocabulary word for some of you, but there is often talk about two extremes, two polar extremes.
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : Hey!
Morgan MacDonald : …Oh, thanks for sharing Ron. Hi Ron… Yáll follow Ron. When he pops a comment, Ron Estrada, follow him. He’s a writer too. So if yáll like to talk about writing talk about him too….
Shalon Ironwood ( https://twitter.com/ShalonIronroad ) :Thanks Shalon!
Morgan MacDonald : So people talk about two ends of the spectrum. There’s a LACK mindset, and ABUNDANCE mindset. And if you haven’t tried those two …
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : Yes, I’m fascinating.
Morgan MacDonald : … Yes, Ron is fascinating, and ruggedly handsome as well, as Chivas would say… The lack mindset is when we continue to think there’s not enough. Everything’s been done. Everything’s been taken…
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : You remembered!
Morgan MacDonald : …Of course I remembered. He’s around a lot [laughter]… There’s just not enough for everyone, and we’re running out, and there’s not enough, and there never will be enough, and there’s a pressure and an urgency in a lack mindset. On the OTHER end of the spectrum there’s more of an abundance mindset that’s like, “There is plenty.”
Shalon Ironwood ( https://twitter.com/ShalonIronroad ) : So important to shift!
Morgan MacDonald : …Yes Shalon. You are starting to experience the shift. It’s HUGE once you start to intentionally seek out an abundant mindset, and you look for ways to remind yourself that there is plenty. There IS enough. There is INFINITE! I mean, there’s an infinince in the universe, and this is, kind of, where we come back to this philosophy that I’ve been circling around, but not really touching on. But I DO want to touch on it today. Because I think that there IS an infinite “being” that created us. I’m just going to throw that out there, right? I call him God, and to me he’s a person. I know that everyone is on their own path, and their own journey, and for you it may be “the universe”, it may be something that you don’t even have a name for. And that’s totally cool. But I do believe that it’s not that much of a stretch for us to say there’s an infinite SOMETHING out there. And I think we’re created. I think we are create with like a resonance of that infiniteness. So if we are an image of this infiniteness, how could we ever believe there’s not enough? There must BE enough…
Shalon Ironroad : ( https://twitter.com/ShalonIronroad ) : Totally agree.
Morgan MacDonald : … Thanks Shalon. And thanks for the hearts guys. As I’m saying this I’m getting, kind of, nervous, but the hearts are helping [laughter]. I’m like, “Okay. They’re tracking with me. They’re following”… And so how can we fall prey to feeling a lack mindset. [Well], it’s so easy. We just have to [try], every time we say “There’s not enough”, remind ourselves. Bring to mind examples of abundance.
Tracy Borgmeyer ( https://twitter.com/tracyborgmeyer ) : Feels like faith sharing, again!
Morgan MacDonald : … [laughter] Yeah. It feels like faith sharing… So actually REMEMBER true historical experience of OUR humanity experiencing abundance. So every time we think that everything has been done, something new and incredible happens. I mean, think from like even the 20th century, going from the car – like having the Ford Model A or T, or whatever – and then the refrigerator, and then the telephone, and then the iPhone – which I’m on my brand new 6+, so I’m feeling the iPhone love right now.
But can you imagine those HUGE SHIFTS that in the earliest 20th century there were people saying that everything has been done, and everything has been invented, and hadn’t even got to the CAR yet? [laughter] That’s science!
Tracy Borgmeyer ( https://twitter.com/tracyborgmeyer ) : Science!
Morgan MacDonald : …She loves science – Tracy down there. She’s all about the science. If you love science, follow her, she’s awesome… But how, at the beginning of the 20th century is it possible that there were people saying [that] everything has been done, and we hadn’t even gotten to the car yet, and all of the stuff to follow.Take that realization, pull it in, internalize it, and say, “There is much more to human history.” .
All right. Take that [and] put it into writing. Okay, what does this look like for writers. [It’s] the same idea. I mean, not that long ago we were saying — heck, every day say every idea has been taken. But can you imagine if Tolkein had never written “Lord Of The Rings”?
Shalon Ironwood ( https://twitter.com/ShalonIronroad ) : Totally agree.
Morgan MacDonald : … Thanks Shalon… What if – I don’t know if there’s anyone who loves [San] Martin – but what if George R. R. Martin had never written the “Song Of Ice and Fire”? I mean, my springtime Sunday evenings would be very boring, that’s for sure. From April through June would be terribly boring [laughter]. What if Tony Robbins thought that every self-help book had already been written. I mean, Tony Robbins has changed so many lives. What if E.L. James thought that every romance novel had already been written? What if she was like, “Oh, Daniel Steele has already done it. I’m not going to do anything.”? There’d be no “Fifty Shades of Grey” – which, I mean, I’m not a “Fifty Shades of Grey” lover, but there are a lot of housewives whose lives were changed because of “Fifty Shades of Grey” [laughter].
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : Every story has been written, but not by you.
Morgan MacDonald : … Ron, yeah. Every story has been written, but not by you… Yeah. But even still. That’s what I love, is that like every story is NEW. EVERY story is new. It’s NOT a reiteration of the same old thing. A reiteration of the same old thing would be a lack mindset. Believing that every story is new, and fresh, and full of life-giving potential, THAT’S an abundant mindset right there. So that’s what we need to try to intentionally create… Thanks for the hearts guys. This is like the MOST hearts I’ve ever gotten. I should go off on philosophical rants more often [laughter].
But anyway, so just CATCH yourself. When you’re in that mindset of lack, just catch yourself. Just say “Stop!” and say, “ You know what? No! I’m holding a freaking iPhone S+, [or] whatever.” It’s like there is INFINITE possibility not ONLY for technology, but for writing as well. Okay. So if we have never, ever, ever come close to running out of ideas, why would we suddenly be out of ideas now? We aren’t.
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : The starving artist myth.
Morgan MacDonald : … The starving artist myth… That’s so TRUE. I don’t know why we cling to that. As artists we should be like, “No, I’m not starving. I’m on my way to making millions” [laughter] That’s the kind of mindset I want to hear from writers, [that] is, “I’m not starving. I’m not working for FREE. I’m on my way to making millions.” [laughter] And maybe it’s true. Let’s just have a little faith.
Okay. So going back to the philosophy… Oh, thanks for inviting Darnell… I think a lot of us feel like if there IS an infinite being, and we are made in that image, a lot of us who write feel like we are called, right? Your books that live inside of you, you are called to write them. I believe that. I would put that all over my web site, [and] shout that from the rooftops. If you FEEL like you have a book in you I believe it’s because you are CALLED to write that book. If you are called to write a book then I think you should be available to answer that call on a regular basis.
Here’s where we get to action steps. So, number one : make time. You’ve GOT to make time.
Miguel Rubio ( https://twitter.com/migg300 ) : Did you go to school for publishing? I’m studying business administration in management.
Morgan MacDonald : … Did I go to school for publishing? – this is from Miguel – [he’s] studying business administration in management… You know, I don’t think SCHOOL is capable of handling the amount of INCREDIBLE change that is happening in the writing and publishing industry right now. There is no university degree, or program, that can keep up with self-publishing right now. You’ve got learn it on-the-fly, on your own, through trial and error, because it is so FAST. I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible…
Melanie ( https://twitter.com/pplunicorn ) : Finding time is the hardest thing.
Morgan MacDonald : …[Melanie], finding time is the hardest thing… I’ve been trying to invest as much time and money as I can to get on the edge of publishing, [but] you can’t learn that stuff fast enough.. Everything changes every MONTH. I mean, it’s incredible. So, yeah sure, go to school, but it’s not going to be enough to keep you on the front-running edge of publishing.
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : And school can’t give you that drive.
Morgan MacDonald : … And school can’t give you that drive, Ron says… Yeah, exactly. You’ve got to be an entrepreneur. You’ve got to be an entrepreneur in this gig. Yeah.
So action step number one : finding time is hard, but if you are called to write [then] you better make time to answer that call, because it is in your soul. It is in your being. And if you don’t make time you won’t feel fulfilled. I mean, it is one of the most IMPORTANT things you’re going to do in your life. If you feel that insatiable curiosity to write…
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : An hour a day.
Morgan MacDonald : … Ron says, “An hour a day.”… Yeah. I mean, AT LEAST 25 minutes. If you can’t spend 25 minutes then maybe you’re not called to write. I mean, you’ve got to have – I almost said a real southern thing [laughter] – well, I’ll say it. All of a sudden you’ve got to have a “come to Jesus moment” [laughter].
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : That’s one bad TV show,
Morgan MacDonald : … Ron says, “That’s one bad TV show.”…
Shalon Ironroad : ( https://twitter.com/ShalonIronroad ) : Brilliant!
Morgan MacDonald : … Thanks Shalon. Thank you… Yeah. Exactly, I mean, this is our stewardship. I think we have been given something really special, and we will live our truest, fullest, most amazing lives if will live into it, if we will devote time to it. And if that means giving up – I mean, I love “Big Bang Theory”, but it’s 22 minutes long, and if I have to choose between [watching] a rerun of “Big bang Theory” and writing, if I am TRUE to myself, and my goals, and who I am, I’ve got to give up the “Big Bang Theory”., and I’ve got to write instead.
So, the 25 minutes is NON-NEGOTIABLE. I’ve just got to say it. I’ve got to say it guys. You’ve got to do it.
Miguel Rubio ( https://twitter.com/migg300 ) : That’s why I’m quitting my second job, so I can write more.
Morgan MacDonald : … Miguel : that’s why I’m quitting my second job, so [I] can write more… Good. Well I hope that doesn’t put you in a tight spot…
Shalon Ironroad : ( https://twitter.com/ShalonIronroad ) : If it’s a priority you’ll find the time.
Morgan MacDonald : … Shalon : If it’s a priority you’ll find the time… Exactly… [Miguel], I hope it doesn’t put you in a tight spot, but live in an abundant mindset and be like, “It will come. When I make time”…
Ron Estrada (https://twitter.com/RonEstrada ) : You choose the greater passion.
Morgan MacDonald : …Yeah, Ron says “You choose the greater passion.”… If I make time for it, it will pay out dividends. That’s what you’ve got to believe,
Then the second, sort of, action step is to seek out inspiration. So I love routines. I build my life around routines. I’m a routine kind of gal. But we have to be willing and open to explore random avenues of inspiration. If you feel yourself tugged towards something inexplicably. If it’s white water rafting down a Rocky Mountain river, do it.
Miguel Rubio ( https://twitter.com/migg300 ) : It won’t.
Morgan MacDonald : …It won’t put you in a tight spot?… Yeah. Good. Then DEFINITELY quit your job [laughter] and start writing. Good. If you feel inexplicably called to join some random group, or [something like] looking at a pottery place, [then] go make pottery and paint. Even if it SEEMS random. In the same way that I believe we are called to write, I think we are called to mysterious passions as well.
Johnnie Alexander ( https://twitter.com/johnnie_alexndr ) : I call them heart-tugs.
Morgan MacDonald : …Johnny, heart-tugs! I love that. Yes…. So, you never know where the inspiration is going to come from. It can come from anywhere. It can come from a Tae kwon Do studio [laughter]…. You guys know I do Tae Know Do.
Tracy Borgmeyer ( https://twitter.com/tracyborgmeyer ) : TaeKownDo.
Morgan MacDonald : … Yup, Tracy is on, and she knows it [laughter] … It can come from, I mean who knows? A movie. It can be very seemingly mundane things. But if you feel… I love that Johnny… a “heart-tug”, pursue it and trust that there is SPACE for inspiration. So I guess my main point with this one is that you just never know when there is going to be a divine download moment.
Johnnie Alexander ( https://twitter.com/johnnie_alexndr ) : Childhood memories.
Morgan MacDonald : … Childhood memories… That’s right. I mean, the associations – if you look into neuroscience – our brains just absorb and contain and RETAIN so much information it’s incredible. But we can’t access those very intentionally. It’s really difficult for us to access them intentionally. So if we maintain this mindset of abundance and openness, those moments can hit us. Those moments of divine download, inspiration from the muse, “Paul On the Road To Damascus” moments, can hit us at any time. So I want you to be open to that.
That is my request for you today. And especially looking forward to the weekend. Most of us in the states have a three day weekend coming up for Labor Day. This is a great time – usually we have a day off work – and go follow the heart-tugs. Make time for writing, and follow those heart-tugs. You have been called to write, so do it. Answer that call… Thank you guys! Thanks Miguel, and Shalon, and Ron…
So if you love to talk about writing, and you don’t MIND my random, philosophical-driven rants occasionally, hit the little “Peri Dude” down there and follow.
Tracy Borgmeyer ( https://twitter.com/tracyborgmeyer ) : Those are the best.
Morgan MacDonald : … Thanks Tracy… Change that plus to a check. I Scope most of the time during lunch, unless I’m out getting a new iPhone Plus… Yes, thanks guys… Most of the time I do a quick 15 minute Scope [to] get you guys inspired to write, and then you use the rest of your lunch to write. That’s the idea.
And you can find Scope notes at : http://www.paperravenbooks.com/periscope
That’s it for today. I hope you have a good day. I’m having a good day. I hope yáll have a good day. I’ll see yáll tomorrow. Tomorrow we are talking about “The Power Of Connecting With Other Authors”, which yáll are doing such a good job of.
Darnell Cureton ( https://twitter.com/DarnellCureton ) : Thank you so much! Enjoy the iPhone.
Morgan MacDonald : … Thanks Darnell… So tomorrow we’re talking all about the power, and how to connect with other authors, so it’s going to be a good day.
Okay. Yáll have a good afternoon. Talk to you tomorrow. And catch me on Twitter @morgangmac ( https://twitter.com/morgangmac ) . All right. Thanks. Bye.
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