“In truth, what I do is this: I create a nest around the egg of an idea. I keep it warm. I watch as it forms. I hope for the best. I hold it up to a candle and make sure it’s still squirming around in there. I listen for the scritch of its nails against its membraneous world. I pray for the first sounds of pecking.
And I pray that it doesn’t die.”
-Kelly Barnhill (http://kellybarnhill.wordpress.com/)
This is a quote I pulled from Kelly Barnhill’s blog post this last Thursday -the Spring Equinox. I was reading it this morning instead of writing. I am in a spinning mode where I am jumping from thought to thought and project to project.
Writing is something I think about, read about and do but then put away. It is one of my projects – writing, knitting, gardening, reading, reviewing,writing…
When I read Kelly’s post this morning – these lines jumped out at me. I said yes – that is what I am headed towards. I have a few to many ideas that are cooling and I need to see if I can warm them, pull them out into the spring sun and give them a new nest to grown in.
Thanks Kelly for providing such a good description of writing and a push to help me refocus!
(Kelly’s new release this fall is: The Witch’s Boy, Algonquin Young Readers; September 16, 2014)
Words from JL 
I think all creative people constantly have multiple ideas swimming through their brain. this post does remind us that we sometimes have to stop and refocus. Thanks for sharing.
Jotting down bits and pieces and storing them away is what I like to do to, until it is time to build them into more. I like the idea of praying that it doesn’t die. Sometimes that is what happens when I’m writing and I’m hoping that it all gets down on paper (or computer) before it drifts away.
Warm them up! YES! This quote is brilliant. No wonder you were so inspired.
That’s me, too! I LOVE the quote:).