Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop. (Lewis Carroll)
How to begin? How do you begin anything that must be done? A long journey – by taking the first step. An unpleasant chore – by grabbing the mop or hammer or paintbrush or whatever tool is necessary to get started. A novel – by discovering the character or event that will push you to the edge of the story cliff and then trick you into jumping off. Once you are in the open air of the story, fear might grab you and make you wonder if this time you won’t be able to grab hold of the story balloon. This time you might plummet down into the rocks of rejection and failure below. But at the same time you rejoice in the breath-taking freedom of a new page. What’s the story going to be? What are the characters going to tell you? What’s going to happen? What surprises await you?
I have a little book, Craft & Technique by Paul Raymond Martin that’s chock full of pithy writing advice. About plot he writes: In your everyday life, avoid trouble. In your writing life, revel in it. So that’s why so many characters have such a talent for stepping into the quicksand of life. Then a writer has to write them out of that impossible situation only to let them be carried away by a flood of new problems. Readers want something to happen. There has to be conflict whether it’s emotional or physical. As Martin says in another place in his book, there are three themes in most fiction. Life is a struggle. Humans are resilient. Effort will triumph.
And so I am posed on the edge of the story cliff searching for that something to make me trust my story wings enough to jump into the unknown and give my imagination fully to the story. I have done like beginnings many times. I’ve published thirty-four books and have written more than that. But even so, at the edge of that story cliff, I hesitate. Doubt makes me want to back up, do more research, rethink my ideas, figure out more about my characters. Anything other than taking that hard step off the cliff into the story world and actually writing.
People think I’m living the dream writing stories. And I am living my dream. I’ve wanted to write stories since I was a kid. I have written stories since I was a kid. Some of those stories have ended up in readers’ hands. But that doesn’t make writing a new story easy. Writing requires discipline, perseverance, inspiration and who knows what else. Each and every time. But it all starts with a first sentence that leads to a second sentence and on and on. Thousands of sentences trailing one after another to entice a reader to follow your characters on that story journey.
Have you ever hesitated at the beginning of doing something, even something you want to do?
Comments 6
I’m thankful you step off that story cliff! I admire your perseverance and dedication in your storytelling.
I think winter months can be both detrimental and encouraging to taking that first step into anything. Encouraging, because there’s not as much…or any…pull to go outside for anything. We’re housebound with this crazy weather happening this season. But the cold makes me want to just curl up with a quilt and a book and fall off a reading cliff.
Today is Sunday, but our services are cancelled. We have a frozen wonderland, with biting wind and ice coated roads. It’s a good day for getting lost in a story.
Stay warm, Ann. I hope Frankie is content to stay in this artic morning.
Many blessings to you!
Author
Frankie is never content to stay indoors, Lavon, which is why I built a backyard fence even though my husband wasn’t all that happy about the idea. But I know Frankie would have been at everybody’s house visiting every day. But right now he whines to go out and then after he’s out there a couple of minutes, he’s whining to come in. Keeping me busy going to the door, but I told him he had to stay last time in. We’ll see if that works. LOL.
Thank you for your kind words and a curling up with a good book and falling off a reading cliff sounds like a perfect way to spend a snowy Sunday. Our church canceled services too. A lot of Kentucky churches did. The school kids are having no luck at all since tomorrow is a holiday. They haven’t gotten a snow day yet. But we still have a lot of winter coming our way.
I definitely agree with Becky. I can’t put my thoughts down on paper anywhere near the way that she can! I’ve told her that she could have\should have been a writer. Writer’s block has set in but on,y for a while. I will be praying for the ideas and words to come. Romans 8:25/12:12
Author
Thank you, Karen. It is such a blessing to have readers like you say a prayer for my words and stories. I appreciate you so much.
Your words speak volumes –
quicksand of life . . . not by choice, I find myself there.
plummeting down into the rocks of rejection and failure . . . rising to a top-of-the-world experience.
Your words, Ann, nurture your readers as you create appealing, believable characters.
Thank you for all the effort you put into your books.
Author
So appreciate your encouraging words, Becky. For some reason I’m struggling to get going on this story. But hoping I’ll find the story trail soon.