The best part of being a fiction writer is discovering the story.
The worst part of being a fiction writer is discovering the story requires you to tell the story in ways you try to avoid because they scare you.
The current WIP was initially a very short story idea–no more than 20 pages. However, as I’ve played with it, it’s gotten bigger. Part of the appeal of the short short to me is that novel-length still scares me a little. I mean, try writing six of them and getting nowhere. After a while, and success at a shorter length, it makes sense to stick with what’s working.
Oh, but no. I had to get this idea, had to start working on it and figure out where it’s going. I get bits and pieces at a time, and that keeps me happy and writing. But once I figured out the hero’s main problem, there was a slight possibility that his current problem (which stems from a past tragedy) could trigger a mushroom cloud of emotion, requiring a deeper, more complex story line than I could possibly cover in twenty pages.
I gave up on the 20 pages thing before I started to write. Novella, I convinced myself, and continued plotting, blissfully happy that I could manage the length with the story I had.
My walk & plot session on Friday, however, turned the tables on me. Damned if I didn’t know from the start that his emotional plot line is going to require his past tragedy on center stage. Over an hour of walking and plotting, and only one conclusion: the story can’t be the story without his action today to overcome the tragedy of yesterday.
Oh, well. I’ve plotted a novel (or six) before, I can do it again. I just wish I didn’t hear that sarcastic laughter in the back of my head saying….I told you so….
Comments on this entry are closed.