5 Ways Not to Lose Your Story Ideas

 I'm driving to the day job, watching the road, thinking about the other drivers and the landscape around me. 

SUDDENLY! 

I've got a story idea. It's rolling around in my brain. Building up. Getting legs and growing. Yeah, I like this story idea. I want to run with it. 

However, I'm driving. Not able to write anything down without crashing my car. Options? Pull over somewhere and put notes in my phone or scratch it out on one of the ten a gas receipts flowing around in my console. Do I do this? Naw, I'll remember and take notes when I arrive at work. 

I pull into work and there goes my brain. I'm not even out of the car yet and my mind is thinking about workie things. Did I write this brilliant story idea down? No. Do I remember it hours later? No.

5 Ways Not to Lose Your Story Ideas

1. Always carry a notebook. These are easily purchased in any store (Dollar Store, too!) to keep in your purse or your car. Make sure there's a pen or pencil with your notebook. 
2. Notes on the phone. I use this feature for a lot of stuff. From work passwords to reminders and grocery lists. It's a quick easy place to write it down if you have no pen or paper. 
3. Learn to use the voice recording feature on your phone. I think that comes with every phone on the market now. On the iphone it's called Voice Memo. I moved this to the top of my aps so I can easily click it when needed. --> At the red light and never while driving. :)
4. If  unable to get it down any other way think of key words. Like building anything online a key word will help trigger your brain into remembering. Don't use generic words like rain or road. Think of something more story specific. If the story is about a woman who meets a prince that turns our to be a serial killer use something like killer prince. Story about aliens landing in a backyard of a hippy. Use alien hippy. Whatever is more exact but short. 
5. Repeat your plot/idea out loud over and over. Then again and again. Repetition is one way to memorize things. Saying it out loud helps cement it into your memory. 

Be Prepared and save those ideas!