I've been working on a fantasy short story, and I typically work on projects one at a time. Or I at least complete a draft before turning my attention elsewhere.
Two nights ago, however, I had an opening narrative for a new fantasy story that popped into my head. I've mentioned before that I have a writing journal for just such occasions, so I opened it up and jotted down the words. But then I kept going. I scribbled four or five paragraphs, which is highly unusual.
By morning, my mind was still churning with this new idea. I tried to tell it to stop, to focus on the other story that only had a few hundred words. My mind, however, refused to comply. Around lunchtime, I'd come up with an ending to go with my opening, so I scribbled it into my journal.
When I came home from work, my family was out of the house and wouldn't return for about an hour. I sat down at my computer and typed out the notes from my journal. And I just kept going. Soon, I was over 1,000 words, and I still couldn't stop the narrative from forming in my mind, even when I stepped away for dinner and to get the kids ready for bed.
Not long after, I had other things I needed to get done, but I decided I had to finish the narrative, connecting what I had to the ending. And once I had that, I went into edit mode with what I'd completed, which is simply insane. I like to let things sit for a couple of weeks before coming back. But I had the narrator's voice and the story so locked into my thoughts that I felt I needed it all correct immediately.
Anyway, I now have a newly completed story ready for submission. And I don't know what to think of myself. I have never done something like this before, and I've been writing for a long time. I'm not going to complain; I need to rebuild my stock. It's just really odd.
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