Its been an awesome, overwhelming response of support that I have received regarding finishing my first full novel. The edits for the first 15 pages have begun, the toil is heating up to clean it up for Genesis, ACFW's annual contest.
I've been thinking as I finish this, where to go from here. I mean, my idea for the post apocolyptic science fiction story REMNANTS is "half a novel", so I thought about finishing it. Then a new story entered my life this weekend. I felt like a baby was born. LOL
A new story is so thrilling, is it not? I wonder, how do you choose what new tale to start? A dream? A thousand stories bouncing around in your mind that you don't much have to think of a new one as much as choose one from your story file in your head?
I only have a couple stories surfing through my mind at a time. One of my short stories came from a dream. One idea bloomed as I listened to a SKILLET song (I think they need to make it their video LOL) And this last/first novel COBRA CUTLASS began with a challenge over at BRANDON BARR'S BLOG, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE FICTION.
So tell me. How are your stories born?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A story is born
Posted by KM Wilsher at 5:53 AM
Labels: christian fiction, Cobra Cutlass, SHORT STORIES, STORIES, writing
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8 comments:
New stories for me are inspired by experiences... seeing/taking a certain photograph, a trip to the zoo, hearing a sermon or a news story, a unique name, a hike up a mountain...
Hmmm, good question. I was getting ready to blog about this very subject but got sidetracked into looking at other people's blogs-you know how that is ;)
Most of mine start with dreams. My very first did and I've got more than two dozen stories outlined in various stages as a result of vivid dreams. True there are two or three that came to me by other means but it's so rare I don't remember the circumstances and usually those stories fizzle out quickly. Those that come in dreams have so much more of an emotional impact and I expend a lot more into capturing the essence of what I felt if not the exact details of ...
Best of luck on your edits. Sorry I haven't been around blog-land much lately, been tied up with life but I'm looking forward to reading your story :D
The stories I'm writing now are so old that I'm not even sure where they began now, but I have gotten several new ideas from a week full of adventurous dreams. Last week was great! Only, I'm on the first book of a 3-4 book series... lol
While editing my novel and Genesis entry story ideas have been percolating in my mind. I actually sat down and wrote 5 thousand words in one I'm calling The Scarlet Key. That one spawned from a site I saw that was looking for stories about elves.
Another recent story idea came from a conversation I had with two friends of mine about Heaven and Hell. It's a bit dark, but I think I'll write it anyway.
Cool picture. :)
pictures are my chief source of ideas for short stories, but they kind of come from everywhere.
congrats on finishing. it's a great, yet bittersweet feeling. i'd love to read it.
Quite of few of my short stories have spawned from my novels--dips into the pasts of characters. Others just seem to pop into my head, usually in the form of a title, first, and then the opening line. Some come from prompts, but that is rare.
I do know what you mean about trying to decide. Some days I actually procrastinate on writing (or don't write at all) because I just can't figure out which project I want to focus on. Then, the inspiration will come and I'll slam out the entire story, or finish one I'd previously started, in one sitting.
I think it's awesome you're making such progress, KM!!!!
Great post, KM. How stories are born. . . . gosh, happens different ways for me.
For one, I woke up with the first sentence in my head. Put it down and went with it.
A few were born during a run or mega workout. A couple were inspired by songs or feelings I experienced while listening to music.
I often just say, during my prayer time, "Hey, God, let me know what you want me to write."
The one I'm working on now. . . I woke up with that, did a mind-map, went running, then started it.
Happy Wednesday!
:)
My short stories are born in two different ways, some are born when I just begin writing a cool sounding opening paragraph...and I let the story evolve from there, and then others are sparked in some strange area in my brain, usually in relation to a bible study, or some Christian philosophy/apologetic books...or sometimes just from having a profound thought and wanting to tell it in the form of a story.
My novels come from scenes in my head. Often I'll just picture a really intriguing scene and then it balloons from there.
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