Paper, paper everywhere; where it should be

I'm beginning to wonder if every writer should have clipboards of paper and a dangling pen or pencil hanging in every room of his or her abode.

Recently, I bought a small tablet of waterproof paper. Yes, it exists. Biologists and geologist use it when out in the field near streams and in inclement weather. You can use a pen or pencil, though a pencil works best (especially under water). Amazon.com has a small tear-away pad that you can suction to the wall of your shower. The pad comes with a small suction mount for a pencil, too.

That pad has come in handy. Most of the problems in my stories are resolved in the bathroom. I don't know what it is about that place. I solved conundrums often enough that it required a pad in the shower just so I could get the idea or dialogue or description down without using specific words or nuances. So last night, before getting ready for bed, I found myself listening to very specific dialogue between two characters. They belong to the novel my thesis started, which I haven't touched since August. The character voices were unique and particular. I wanted to begin writing the conversation, but the waterproof pad was out of reach and too small. And yet I couldn't shut my mind off, either, because more sections of the scene started appearing, along with details and actions.

I ended up striding into the living room, where my boyfriend and I were watching educational YouTube videos about the Maya calendar and what happens in a presidential election in the event of a tie, and ordered him to "Pause it. Pause it! Pause it, pause it!"

He finally did after I plopped onto the couch and grabbed a notebook and pencil. What followed was a 300-word sketch of dialogue and notes in the worst chicken scratch I've ever written. I type faster, usually, but couldn't spare the time to grab the laptop, log in, locate the document, locate the proper location in said document, and begin typing.

Thus, I realized that maybe it's a good idea to dangle a clipboard and pencil off the bathroom counter, and have a notebook on my nightstand instead of further away on my desk, and maybe one on my To Read shelf in the little hallway. There are white boards and notebooks located elsewhere throughout the apartment.

I told my best friend of this incident. She said she loves when inspiration strikes like that. It's as if the moment takes over you, as if you're living it alongside your characters. And you need to get the idea down on paper as fast as possible without any distraction registering in your mind. No one else's real-life conversation, no facts broadcast from the TV, no song lyrics, nothing. The entire world must pause until the idea is safely on paper, and only then (when the voices in your head quiet) can life resume.