In his memoir, "Goodbye to all that," Robert Graves recalled his meeting with Thomas Hardy. Graves Writes:
"As we walked around the garden, Hardy paused at a spot near the greenhouse. He had once been pruning a tree here when an idea for a story suddenly entered his head. The best story he had ever conceived, and it came complete with characters, setting, and even some of the dialogue. But not having pencil or paper with him, and wanting to finish his pruning before the weather broke, he took no notes. By the time he sat down at his table to recall the story, all was utterly gone. ‘Always carry a pencil and paper,’ he said, adding: ‘Of course, even if I remembered that story now, I couldn’t write it. I’m past novel-writing. But I often wonder what it can have been.’"
I like gardening, and I often go out there in my oldest and dirtiest clothes after a day of writing at the computer. I have noticed that many of my best ideas often come to me while sweeping leaves, weeding and generally sticking my nose in the dirt. So, if you are void of inspiration, I would encourage you to put on your straw hat, get into the garden, pull out some weeds, trim the hedges, and, before long the seed of an idea might appear unannounced in your head. But be careful and be prepared. Make sure you have a notebook and pencil to hand otherwise that great idea will fade and disappear forever.
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