A Writer Possessed
So there I was believing my novel "The Black Lion" to finally be ready for publication. It only took me twenty years to write! It had to be ready.
Suddenly my hands began typing on the keyboard. Chapters vanished to be replaced by new material! New story lines emerged! What's happening? Someone break out the holy water! My hands are possessed!
Hang on. I adjusted my glasses as I began to read some of the new work. Well, hey, it isn't bad. In fact, it is better than before. Before me was the new sub-plot storyline I long suspected lurked in the shadows waiting for its chance to strut its stuff. It had fought its way out of me to open its arms wide to the light of day! Outstanding! Of course this means it is back to editing for me, but that's cool.
When a brainstorm, or possession, hits as it did me that means the story needs help and the writer knows it, even if only subconsciously. The tiny writer inside screams, "No! It's too young to leave! It's only a baby, you cruel bastard!" and so it's time to hunker down in front of the keyboard again. Tweaking continues until you experience that deep satisfied feeling of accomplishment or the cpu starts smoking.
"Why don't you send the book to a publisher already?" relatives complain. "You've been at it for years."
What writer hasn't heard that? My reply is, "Would you send your child out into the world before their ready? No, and neither will I."
You may be thinking, "Well, damn, you've been writing this novel for twenty years. Isn't the kid an adult by now?"
You would think so, but my novel grew up only recently. It developed as I developed mentally and emotionally through the years. Being an epileptic and empathic has made it hard for me to trust my brain and emotions, quite a few of which are picked up from other people.
You know, the tiny writer in me just suggested I write a few posts in my characters' voices. It sounds rather schizophrenic, but doing so may help bring to light certain aspects of their personalities. Hmmm...
Our novels and the characters in them are the children born in our imaginations. We love them, cherish them, but eventually have to let our children leave the nest. I hope mine leaves very soon because the new sub-plot line in the first has given me the plot to my second novel.
Suddenly my hands began typing on the keyboard. Chapters vanished to be replaced by new material! New story lines emerged! What's happening? Someone break out the holy water! My hands are possessed!
Hang on. I adjusted my glasses as I began to read some of the new work. Well, hey, it isn't bad. In fact, it is better than before. Before me was the new sub-plot storyline I long suspected lurked in the shadows waiting for its chance to strut its stuff. It had fought its way out of me to open its arms wide to the light of day! Outstanding! Of course this means it is back to editing for me, but that's cool.
When a brainstorm, or possession, hits as it did me that means the story needs help and the writer knows it, even if only subconsciously. The tiny writer inside screams, "No! It's too young to leave! It's only a baby, you cruel bastard!" and so it's time to hunker down in front of the keyboard again. Tweaking continues until you experience that deep satisfied feeling of accomplishment or the cpu starts smoking.
"Why don't you send the book to a publisher already?" relatives complain. "You've been at it for years."
What writer hasn't heard that? My reply is, "Would you send your child out into the world before their ready? No, and neither will I."
You may be thinking, "Well, damn, you've been writing this novel for twenty years. Isn't the kid an adult by now?"
You would think so, but my novel grew up only recently. It developed as I developed mentally and emotionally through the years. Being an epileptic and empathic has made it hard for me to trust my brain and emotions, quite a few of which are picked up from other people.
You know, the tiny writer in me just suggested I write a few posts in my characters' voices. It sounds rather schizophrenic, but doing so may help bring to light certain aspects of their personalities. Hmmm...
Our novels and the characters in them are the children born in our imaginations. We love them, cherish them, but eventually have to let our children leave the nest. I hope mine leaves very soon because the new sub-plot line in the first has given me the plot to my second novel.