The Curiosity Card Catalog by LA Bourgeois

Let’s welcome back LA Bourgeois as she shares with us “The Curiosity Card Catalog.” Enjoy!

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What do you do when you finish writing your book?

Start writing the next one.

—Unknown

We’ve all heard this wisdom, and want to act on it! 

However, what do you do when you finish your novel and don’t have the idea for the next one?

Oh! That moment when you’re ready to write but don’t know what to write about! 

That itch to write a fabulous story or begin a novel that strikes without an accompanying adventure. 

No amazing character in your head. No dream that sparks a plotline.

Inspiration is a trickster

Sometimes she knocks on your door only to run behind a bush giggling as you repeatedly open it to find nothing there. Occasionally she flashes into your mind like a lightning bolt. 

But most often, she shows up in your curiosity. 

Curiosity is every writer’s gift 

The impulse to explore a subject, an incident, a phenomenon can lead you into surprising stories. 

When you follow your curiosity, you are taking time to work on a problem your brain has already identified. They just haven’t told your conscious mind yet!

Indulge that part of your brain.

Allow it to work through the idea and, when you least expect it, a story emerges. 

Your job as a writer is keeping your mind open and willing and in an attitude of learning.

Creativity Exercises 

One way to harness your curiosity is through creativity exercises. 

They help you look at things differently, engage your imagination, and pop your brain into a space where inspiration can hit. 

One easy and affordable way to find a new idea can be found at your local library.

Dive into your Curiosity Card Catalog

As a reminder, way back when rocks were soft and dinosaurs roamed the earth, we used a card catalog to keep track of all of the books in the library. 

These dignified but unwieldy behemoths held a map of the library in books with tantalizing clues of what we might find in them. 

In your Curiosity Card Catalog, we delve into your local library’s stacks randomly and see what pops out!

Grab some dice (bonus if you have ten-sided ones) and head to your local library.

The nonfiction section of the library is organized according to the Dewey Decimal system. Within this section, a series of three numbers are used on the side of each book. These numbers range from 000 to 999.

We’re going to randomly select three numbers using the dice. 

Since you need numbers between one and ten, use whatever combination of dice you need. A single ten-sided die will serve you well in this situation as the 10 can serve as a zero.

At the library, throw your dice to select your three numbers. 

Whatever number comes up, head into the nonfiction section and find the appropriate selection of books. Grab the first one that sparks any sort of interest.

Repeat the whole exercise at least two more times. 

Take your three books and skim them, either at home or in the library. Dip in further when something catches your eye. Indulge your curiosity by doing further research into the thing that seemed the most interesting.

Allow yourself to follow your curiosity and get inspired to start writing that next novel!

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ABOUT THE BOOK REVIEWER

LA (as in tra-la-la) Bourgeois supports writers, makers, and other creatives in growing their creative businesses and breaking away from their day jobs.

As a creativity & business coach, she believes that exploring your creativity invites joy into your life, embracing your creativity infuses your life with joy, and manifesting your creativity gives you a joyous purpose. Writing and knitting are her non-negotiable mediums, and she can usually be found with a pen or knitting needles in her hands.

Find her free guide, Tricking Yourself into a Creative Habit online at labourgeois.biz and start writing those words today. She can’t wait to read them!

Related posts:

https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2021/10/19/the-novel-garden-by-la-bourgeois

https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2021/09/23/image-play-using-pictures-to-write-by-la-bourgeois

https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2018/10/11/a-creative-life-is-a-messy-life-by-beth-barany