I've got a short story with all the right elements: a haunted house, a deranged baddie (yet to appear), a woman out for revenge, and a dead daughter who turns up as a ghost, possibly to help her mother.
The only problem is, it refuses to be written. I don't know who the baddie is yet. It certainly isn't the ex-husband; he's too much of a fop. I get only so far with things and then it just crashes. And I'm not sure whether I want to try to beat this one into existence. Damn thing might roll over and die on me. Maybe it already has.
Well, I'll come back to this one later, I guess.
8 comments:
Some stories are like that, lurking in dark corners. Let it rest and bubble on the back burner for a bit. I bet that you'll find the inspiration you need sooner rather than later. Or you could try the head-against-wall method when you try to plot out the story and keep asking what if questions. Sometimes that works, too!
I always get stuck and frustrated. Then randomly the story will start working a few months later.
Ignore it, work on something else, and I'll bet you have a flash of genius.
By the way, thanks for the congrats on my story ; )
Also, you are quite the enigma--sometimes you sound like you are twenty, others like you are forty (both in good ways, naturally)...a woman of mystery. I like it.
Thanks, writtenwyrd. I'm working on some other equally frustrating stuff now.
Funny you should mention my enigmaness, kiersten, as I am considering becoming unanonymous. Or at least posting a photo.
Considering. Not sure yet.
I just realized how snarky my thank you sounded, writtenwyrd. And you were only trying to give me encouragement. My apologies!
Didn't mean for it to sound that way, though. This month has been especially rough in the writing department. I've been pretty distracted trying to find the next paying gig. There's lots more action this week than last, so hopefully I will be back on track by the end of this week. : )
Hey there- Have I seen part of this on EE's?
What works for me when I'm stuck- and I'm stuck a lot- is...
1- Give your brain, well, homework, for lack of a better word, right before you go to sleep.
In the morning (I swear this works) whole sentences and thoughts that can be formed if you write them down quickly - can help you find your form.
The first paragraph of my novel came to me this way- I only added one word laer on. I got up- wrote it down really fast on an index card. I'd been struggling for weeks to 'find the beginning'. i'd been writing all around it.
Try it!
2-Keep paper and pen in your bathroom and in your purse. Showers/baths and commuting allow thoughts to bubble up form the subconscious.
P.S. How do I get on to your Amazon wishlist, sweetie?
Yep, you saw the opening to this one. Haunted house, woman moves to the country, etc.
Okay, I'll try the notebook thing. But I'm not sure what you mean by "give my brain homework the night before." Try thinking about the story before I go to sleep?
I'll have to get back to you on the amazon wishlist. Trying to organize it! I'll be adding some wishlist things to my librarything, too.
Hey freddie-
Yep - thinking about it - just kind of doing the night time verison of daydreaming - it's amazing how well that works - when you wake up- just be still for a while, and see what walks into your consciousness. It works.
I like the beginning of that story I saw. Good luck with the continuing of it!!
Man, I do that daydreaming at night thing and it keeps me up for HOURS because I get so involved in the story.
And I'm insane.
But you've probably figured that out by now.
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