Pardon the unscheduled update for the blog.
A few weeks ago, I got a new story idea out of the blue. That idea was “Finding Mister Wright.” The synopsis I posted was only a rough outline of what I thought the story would be. Of course, somewhere in the writing, Marshall hijacked the story from my initial inklings and made it distinctly his own. The core is still there, but the overall story became something rather different, with new characters, new relationships, and a new ending. To spite what it does to my planning, I love it when that happens.
Thirteen days, fifteen chapters, and a tad over 20,000 words later, Marshall has a story. A kind of Christmas story, even. While this is “only” a first/rough draft, I feel pretty damn awesome to have brought his story to light. Or, at least, part of his story, since I’ve grown to like him a lot over the last almost-two weeks. What may be the best part, though, is that I set myself the goal of finishing this story before the end of this weekend, and, damn it, I actually did it.
I guess now it’s time to find out if those folks who said they’d read my stories actually do it, too.
Perhaps that is what I should be doing. Instead of racking my brains as to what to write next, I believe I should do what you apparently did; I should turn the story writing over to one of the characters in my manuscript, and like you I believe the protagonist would be the best one. Have I just identified your ghostwriter, or did my imagination run amok?
Thanks for stopping by, Robin.
Characters taking over their stories happens to me quite a lot, actually. I think what happened with this one is that it all happened so quickly, I wasn’t really prepared for a particular ending. The more I thought about him and listened to his voice (hearing the voice is really important for me), the more Marshall just wrote himself.
There’s an old television program called “The Book Group” that has this great point about writing: Let your characters lead the plot, instead of merely servicing it. I try to keep that advice close to hand every day.
Thanks again, and good luck with your story!
I believe this will become a good year for my intuition.
Congrats on achieving a goal! It feels awesome to finish a draft, any draft, so I can imagine your elation right now. Take a breather, though, a few days to put it aside and let your mind focus on something else. That way when you go back to it, you’ll be refreshed and observant and honest. 🙂
Thanks, Kate!
I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this one, next. I was thinking of requesting a few beta readers. But, I can’t go back to it for a few days, even if I wanted to do: too many other projects were put on hold for this one. 😉
As nice as it feels to finish a draft, it’s a great feeling to leave it alone and then come back after a bit, especially for a story I enjoy: it’s like getting to know an old friend all over again. 🙂
I’m available as a beta. 🙂 There’s just something about being swept off your feet by an unexpected story and character, isn’t there? And sometimes that inspiration spreads to works that have been stalled out on the back burner, and those characters start chiming in again, too. And then you find yourself running on the “writer’s high” for a stretch. I love those times!
Oo, I’d love that to happen, JM! It was really nice to be able to play in a new park for a few weeks, and I do still think about the characters as they might relate to my other universes. I guess my buddies are just different permutations of the same people, in a way.
If you’re genuinely interested in a basic read, send me your preferred email? I’m at bonuspartsfic at Gmail. 🙂
Thanks again!
Just dropped you a line. 🙂
Thanks, JM! I just wrote you back. 🙂
Ah, so that’s where you’ve been! I think someone earned a few beers. As much as I would like to read it, I’m currently in a love-hate relationship with books. One day, though!
I don’t think it would be your cuppa tea anyway, spooney. There’s a lot to do with identity by way of sex, which I know isn’t your thing. Thanks for the thought, though. It means a lot. 🙂
Is it the new semester causing that love-hate relationship? Hopefully, you haven’t been sworn off reading for good. That’s a love – and skill – to keep nurturing always.
Mayumi, that’s amazing productivity. Wow. Congrats on getting the first draft completed. 🙂
Thanks, Kourtney. I admit, it was mostly an exercise in writing to a (self-imposed) deadline, and seeing what developed from that first idea. And, to get said idea from taking over my head! LOL.
Thanks for the warning!
Honestly, since becoming an English major, I don’t remember the last time I read for pleasure. I started hating reading because of having to read 60 pages for one class and 30 for another and yet another 35 for another. I still read articles online every now and then, but I need to let my appreciation to read rest.
I absolutely understand what you’re saying, there. While I was an English major, I searched for classes whose curricula would let me read stuff I wanted to read and learn about. Luckily, I ended up enjoying a lot of the early American and Victorian stuff (that became my specialization), but it can be really hard to get out of that reading-for-study groove. It did make me not want to pick up a book for a while. The weird thing is, when I’m writing a lot, I don’t like reading a lot, either. I’ll read articles and short stuff like comics, or I’ll go back to reading old favorites that I know well, but I find it very difficult to read new things and not get into analysis mode.
I hope you find the right balance for you.