How To Find A Story: As Told From the Perspective of a Pantser

[dreamerwrites]

It comes in silence to the listening ear
A whisper you can just barely make out
So easy to miss in the bustle of a busy day.
It won't come if you're planning for it,
if you invite it to tea and give it a particular place at the table.

It might come under the table,
or in the closet, or under the bed.
It won't come because you have a daily goal or a deadline or a need.
It will come when you stop pushing, when you let up and listen.

When the words arrive, jot them down
without question.
If you doubt and push them aside,
they will flit out of the room.
Maybe they will try again another time,
but maybe not.

Don't think
Don't plan
Don't force
Just breathe, relax, and listen.

You might have to wait. The story might be shy.
You may need to give it time.
And then, when it flutters into the room
and whispers in your ear,
Hear it.

See it glow
and draw it with your pen.
See its light
And it will shine for you
And guide your way down the path
To The End.

All you need do
is Listen.