Last night, I sat down to write a new mini-chapter (or scene) in my Untold Tale and I had a very good idea of exactly what I wanted to write. I started typing away and nothing "felt" right. The words weren't flowing, it wasn't "fitting", and it felt stale. Frustrated, I deleted a bunch of paragraphs and started over. But this time, instead of sticking to the script, I peered into my mind's eye theatre and "watched" the action.
"Okay, Eric," I thought. "What are you up to?"
And the scene went in an entirely different direction. By the time I was done writing, I felt emotionally wrung out and very depressed. In fact, I pondered rewriting the scenario so it wasn't so down, but I have a rule. If it happens on the big screen in my mind's eye, it happens in the story.
I saved it, posted it, and went to bed.
This morning, the reaction to this unexpected scene from those who have read it so far has been really good. One reader listed it as his favorite moment in the story so far. His words were validation for an emotionally gut-wrenching scene that came out of nowhere, but sits rather nicely in the story. It adds to the major character and made his world darker and more frightening.
The mini-chapter I thought I as going to write last night will now be written tonight. The scene from last night puts the character in a different state of mind that actually works better for what is to come.
I'm definitely glad the story pushed back last night and didn't go quietly into what I had pre-planned.
As always, writing is an adventure.
I actually was left almost in tears at the end of one scene from Behind Stone Walls.
ReplyDeleteIt always works best when you're not the one wirting, but rather the characters themselves are writing their own stories.