Before I begin I want to take some time to wish you all a Happy New Year!

My first post of 2008 will be about the incubation period.  This is the time it takes to allow an idea to grow and develop.  This works really well when you need to solve a problem in your writing: too long, too short, not enough excitement or suspense, etc.

Incubation is not a new idea.  If you are unfamiliar with the term it is probably due to our fast paced way of living.  Time is the key element for incubating ideas successfully.  For this reason it will never become a buzz word.

Put your writing problems in the back of your mind and do something completely different for at least one day.  When you return to your writing, relax and guide your mind back to the problem.  Don’t worry if you don’t find a solution right away.  Open your mind to random thoughts not dwelling on any one thought for too long.  By using this technique you might see a solution that never occurred to you.

I have solved most of my writing problems by incubating ideas.  Sometimes the human mind just needs a little time to analyze a problem before it can solve it.  If one day of incubation is not enough then take two or three.  Remember, time is the key element.