Have you ever said something, then instantly regretted it? And
have you ever done that, then within minutes decide it wasn’t a mistake? I had
this happen to me just last month.
A couple weeks before Nano started, I attended a meeting with
my local Nano group, where one of our leaders first asked what they planned to
write that year. As she went around the room for our responses, I didn’t think
about my answer, even though I had no idea what I would write at all. I thought
about how Konnie had recently finished the rough draft of a massive sci-fi.
With that on my mind, when my turn came, I announced I was
going to break away from my norm and try my hand at sci-fi. Even as I said it I
told myself I was being a fool. I never write anything that isn’t romance, and
I still didn’t have an idea.
Then our leader presented us with several prompts and a time
limit. I was drawing a blank. I still didn’t even know what I was going to
write. Sci-fi? What was I thinking? Okay, I was thinking if Konnie can, so can
I.
And well, I had started a sci-fi months ago, and set aside
because researching and taking notes became too much for me, I’d been overwhelmed,
so it was crazy to even think I could write a whole sci-fi, it was too much
work.
I did try to work with the prompts, but still nothing, until
one of them she gave us got me thinking. What would Nick have on him that
reminded him of his missing brother? I didn’t get my answer right then, but it
was a spark.
Her next set of prompts included writing a letter from the
main character at the end of the book to the main character at the beginning of
the book. Interesting.
I wrote two sentences. Two powerful sentences that really
said it all. That night I went home, pulled out my computer, dug out my old
discarded file, and started writing notes and two versions of an “ancient” tale
from the worlds I was creating. I even wrote an outline! Me, the consummate pantser,
wrote an outline, or at least a partial one. And I went through the two scenes
I did have adding details, and information, I hadn’t had originally.
On November first, I thought I had enough outline to last me
the month. I ran out of that during week two, but not ideas. I’ve a long way to
go before I finish this story, or rather, these stories. 😊 And I’m already over seventy-five thousand
words! Wahoo!
Have you ever been blessed with a story which won’t let go,
or which snowballs on you into a massive tome? I know Konnie’s answer, what’s
yours? And have you remembered to be thankful for this blessing?
Happy writing everyone! 😊
No comments:
Post a Comment