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Blog Archive
New Beginnings
Just a thought.
It’s passing at first. You walk down the hallway, up the stairs without the light thinking about it. You walk into the bedroom, ignoring the thought as you ready for bed. You sit on the edge of the bed, sinking into the softness as the thought mills around in your tired brain.
Ignore it. You’ve got better things to play out.
You lay your head on the pillow. You close your eyes slowly. The gentle glow from the TV is soothing, and the thought refuses to go away. You thought you could make it go away.
I mean, it’s only a thought. A brief moment, a flash through your subconscious.
But that thought brought your subconscious back into focus.
It brings you back together.
It pulls you apart.
The first glance into something new always sticks with you the hardest. It’s always the most vivid thought that keeps playing over and over again until you finally do something with it.
New stories are like that. Once they have you in their clutches, the new story doesn’t let you go. It builds. Gains momentum. Roars like a freight train coming around the bend. The fun and excitement of exploring new ideas, new directions, and new characters are what keep writer’s going through tough times when it’s not coming so easily anymore. New experiences keep our minds fresh and our writing strong so that those beginnings don’t turn into soggy middles and bad endings with loose ends.
But with all beginnings, we stumble and we fall. Beginnings bruise us from the inside out as we push through doubt and fear that our new start isn’t as great as we originally thought. So the trick is to work past the doubts; because in the beginning doubt will be the only thing that keeps you from moving forward. And with something new, doubt is just not acceptable.
So forge on, great writer, don’t let that beginning beat you down.
What is your favorite part about the beginning, whether it be from a writer or reader’s aspect?
Books by the Crew
25 comments:
Finish your book already, Sin!!!
Ah... beginnings. I like the excitement of doing something new. I love the research. I love that I don't have to worry about structure as I hash out the new characters and beginning. I love learning about my characters and what will happen within my story
I love the rush I get knowing I have to finish edits on whatever I am on so I can write the new story.
I love that I'm not running out of ideas! LOL
Sin, I find that I have so many ideas that a reliable filter is needed to extract the nuggets from the fools gold. Going to sleep works wonders for me. The subconscious filters all the rubbish away ready for the new day....great way to work as well!
My beginnings go so fast I forget that at some point I'm going to be clueless as to how to get to the end. It's a little like falling in love before you know the guy farts in bed---he's just so wonderful at first you don't think he's mortal.
Yeah, like the others, I love the energy around the beginning. Since I'm starting a new beginning now, I can already feel that inescapable thrill. Yet my beginnings don't go fast. My middles go pretty quick and the ending goes REALLY fast once I will myself to get to it.
I enjoy when that new idea hits and it's a race to get it all down on paper. Who these people are, general descriptions, what they do and why they are insisting I tell their story. But then I kind of like where I am now, which is still close to the start but I've lived with these characters long enough that I feel like I know them, inside and out.
So the first glance is fun, but the discovery is better. Now, if I could just get past here and find out how fun all the other stuff y'all talk about is. LOL!
New ideas are great. I love that. Love getting to know who these characters are and what makes them special. What's going to get on the other's nerves and what will draw them to each other. I love putting together the very first line and seeing where it will take me, even if I change it later.
My favorite part of a New Idea? I'm not sick of it yet. *LOL* I love playing "What if?"--I remember getting a rather wicked sense of glee at the thought of "What if the hero was shot at the beginning of the book? WHY would this happen? And would he live? And if he's a Dark Horse, WHY would our smart heroine fall in love with him?"
And with Adam & Eve: "WHAT IF Adam & Eve had to find new mates in the 21st century? How would they fare in the Dating Jungle--and would they somehow end up back with each other?"
What if is my favorite game. I play it all the time. Once you know all the answers to What If, you want to do something else...so that's why it's more fun to play this game with a new idea. :)
Hellion! I love what ifs... Hidden Beauty's big question was...
What if your husband sold you into slavery?
UD was... What if you were dying and the only thing that save you was something forbidden and likely another kind of death---okay so that one isn't as narrowed down.
My next one... (cause I'm a tease) What if you were a whore but a musical genius? Okay I'm still working that one out! LOL I'll let you know if a few weeks when it's more solid.
What if doens't narrow it down, Tiff, it opens up the possibilities! It's got that Choose Your Own Adventure Quality that I love so much. And the more you play the questions game, scenes start showing up in my mind (usually humorous ones) of stuff that would be fun to have in the book; and if I get far enough along, I can picture the Black Moment too...and that's usually the key. If I can picture the black moment, I get excited enough to want to write to it so I can read it all.
I just need it to start the concept. My black moments usually smack me upside the head...lol
But I see exactly what you mean.
Honestly, I've been trying to reply back to you guys all day but my life at work has exploded since the doctor returned from vacation today. :{
Tiff- I'd love to finish already. I love your concepts for your books. And they are darker, which is another thing I enjoy. A whore but an exceptional music genius. Or your husband sold you into slavery, you've got one helluva imagination with dark undertones.
Q- Usually going to bed helps me sort through all my thoughts and ideas, but lately it's only been making it worse. Though, I imagine you wake up in the middle of the night, go downstairs, and work out some sort of mad equation while drinking a scotch by candlelight.
I have a love affair with beginnings! The middles are very hard for me but once I get past them I can sail in to the end on a good wind.
The problem I have is ignoring those wonderful ideas that sweep in while I'm trying to finish other projects. I've tried writing them down but sometimes they pull me away.
Hi all! Sorry I'm late today.
I love the beginning. I love falling in love with my characters. As I write them, get to know where they come from and what they are like, I feel like I'm making new friends. It's a good feeling.
I'm about 15K into my new project and it's starting to slow down a little for me. I'm about to end "THE MIDDLE." But, it's so nice that new wave of being in love with a new project.
Doesn't anyone like typing THE END?! Come on, someone give me hope there's light at the end of this tunnel.
I love typing, THE END! Usually isn't the end though. LOL
Maggie- I wish I had your problem of it going by so fast that I haven't a clue how to get to the end. :)
Kelly- my beginnings drag by too. I love the new ideas gathering in my head but it never comes out the way that I want it to in the beginning. It's like the story starts in the middle for me and goes from there.
J.K- I wish I loved putting together the first line! I need that sort of love in my writing life.
Ter- Discovery is my favorite part. It's why I pants.
Kathy- I like writing the middle. For me, that's the easiest part, well the end too. Except it's hard for me to put anything to bed without going into a sequel. LOL
H- you have so many great ideas at any given moment I dunno how you decide what you'll write on.
Don't worry Marn. I'm late too to my own she-bang.
I guess I'm different from everyone else that I know my characters pretty thoroughly before I start. I don't write out notes but they are living inside my head. I learn new things about them as I write, but they come to me easier because they are like old friends- you can get pissed off at each other all you like but you're always going to feel the most comfortable with them.
I just start writing after I have an idea of them, sort of a caricature of them, and they become more real as I go forward.
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