Percolation. Terry Brooks uses the term in his book, Sometimes Magic Works. Ideas form like a pool from a drip, one tiny drop is only one of the puzzle pieces.

My ideas percolate for years. I create a folder and a text file. There I stick snippets of thoughts, dreams, quotes and pictures. Eventually it fills up with an idea.

As I’ve said before most of my ideas start as dreams, but I also get them from pictures, songs, and movies. I’m working on a short right now which started as our summer challenge picture. Then I heard this song, and this quote. Next I had a dream about it. The last piece fell into place as I watched Toy Story 3 this week.

Another idea that I had a dream about a few years ago also had some action this week. Slot machines gave me an idea for an extension of the magic system. Another dream gave me a few more character ideas.

I have hundreds of these files. I may never write all of them but there are always a few rippening.