WATCH: Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

In today's world, being connected is more possible than ever. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to connecting with others through social media but the fact is that technology makes it must more possible to connect with someone in another part of the world. 

I'm a person who thrives from being connected to others. Being part of the writing community and having critique partners helps me continue to write. Without others who are there with me along the way, I know I wouldn't be where I am at this point in my life.   

There is power in being connected. I'm sharing Steven Johnson's TedTalk: Where Good Ideas Come From because it helped me think a little more closely and a little more differently about where ideas come from and why being connected is so critical.

Did you catch these words there at the end:

"That is how innovation happens.

Chance favors the connected mind."

Watch and think about some ideas you've had recently. Did being connected to someone or a group of someones in some way help this idea come to mind? How does sharing your ideas with someone else help make your idea better? How does being connected impact your writing life?

I know for me, I use mentor texts to help me think about how others have written stories and how I might try what they've done. Whether it's word choice or how to get into a story or how to work towards the climax in a story, mentor texts help me so much. Similarly, when I'm writing, I love to hear what others do to navigate the writing process. I love Stephen King's On Writing and Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird but also Blake Snyder's Save the Cat and Kate Messner's Real Revision and 59 Reason to Write...not to mention all the blog posts I read about writing and all the ideas friends share with me when I ask, "How do you analyze your chapters as you revise?"

I'm so glad WE are connected!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the power of being connected.