Friday, May 4, 2012

Beginning to write a story...

I am beginning to write a new story. It's for my Time Travel Adventure Series. I've been meaning to get back to this series for some time, and had two topics which I'd been researching off and on since 2008 when the last time travel book came out. Since then, as you may know, an entirely different  book was written and published by Carlong Publishers. So I've been adrift since then as I tried to decide which of the time travel topics I should pursue; always, the nagging feeling that I should be writing. Then lo and behold! Another idea, entirely different, popped into my head, or maybe the characters said, "This is the story we want to tell instead." It is possible, as it always is, that quite unrelated events going on around us may have influenced me or my characters; who knows? So in the past week  I've feverishly written notes, on the setting; the characters; the reason for the story, the reasons for the characters being in the story;  it is important to understand them so that  the writer/narrator (me) does not impose my own ideas/agenda on them. So now I have a mass of ideas; information; matters to research;  all sorts of things to clarify.  I'm plotting in my head before I go to sleep;  and at odd times in the day; images flashing into my mind. There is excitement like a dancer running out onto a stage and then back into the wings, and out again. And here is what is wonderful. I find to my surprise that suddenly I want to read this story that is not yet written; I want to know what is going to happen and I can feel my body inside begin to tingle, as if it's speeding up to be able to think... I do not recall if I feel this every time I write, but I know that I should enjoy this anticipation before I actually commit myself to the writing, before I discover  what doesn't work, before I doubt the entire thing, before my characters refuse to cooperate, before we,  my characters and I, go into that process of crafting  something out of ideas/dreams, thoughts. But there is no turning back now. We prepare for the dance as we slip in and out of the wings. From time to time I hope to tell you what's happening; and then again maybe not; maybe I'll curl up quietly and hug the story to myself until it's done. I have no idea why I've used the metaphor of the dance. I have never been a dancer for the stage. To the best of my knowledge there is no dance in the story ...

3 comments:

  1. What a lovely feeling of anticipation as you start your new book! Good luck, Diane! Once you have started that process going, it's hard to stop, isn't it! Hmmm... You never know, one of your characters may end up dancing!
    I love time travel stories, I know you will have fun with it.

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  2. Thanks, Emma. I trust that your writing is going well. Hmm. Maybe we should have a writing tea. (tea talking about writing) Just thought of that; I'll think some more.

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  3. I like the new look to your blog. I find it much easier to read black on white than on a coloured background.

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