Back to Basics
So, I had grand brainstorming plans for the last weekend, none of which worked out. It’s funny how the end of the semester hits you. You work day and night to keep things together, then the moment you finish your final projects, all you want is rest. A break.
Or maybe that’s just me.
Anyway, I’ve at least started a little daily writing of fiction again, just to get back into the groove after months of nonfiction and academic papers. It helps, but I haven’t felt closer to a solid grip on my thesis yet. I do have a couple of new ideas though, in need of development so I can evaluate them.
This is where my mind was this morning when I woke up – realizing that what I needed to do was not ponder them in the abstract, or throw together a few simple scenes to try to get a sense of them.
Mind you, those scenes are great fun and I did more world building in three hundred words yesterday than I’ve done since last spring.
Anyway, while considering my situation – two weeks from the residency, one week before I need to submit a piece to my next fiction workshop professor – I realized what I needed to do. I needed to get back to basics.
For me this starts with mind mapping. Starting with a simple point of consideration, I let my mind wander and found a dozen points of conflict and development before I’ve named a single character. The ideas begin to flow from there and I know I could write this one. I’ll do the same thing tonight with the other competitor and see if it feels as rich in potential to me.
The next step will be to find the main character and start interviewing. I need to get to know this person and find out about goals, conflicts and the like.
Once I have a feel for the character, I’ll look at that mind map again and figure out where the story is. Then I can really start writing, and it won’t be tiny little pokes at the subject, but actual scenes with meaning.
I’m excited again, and I just had to get out of my way.
