Creative Energies

I'm often asked where my stories come from and there is no single answer. Most of my stories are from very vivid dreams but the mystery is a major exception. Listening to Jay Asher, "Thrteen Reasons Why," at the SCBWI conference in Michigan, and I don't remember his exact words, he said the solution to a problem with his story came to him like a bolt of lightning, and I had to smile because literally, that's where the "High Point" story came from. It was during a thunderstorm at the Chautauqua workshops in New York and it literally came to me in less than ten minutes. I'm talking about plot, characters, and ending, all handed to me on a platter. Now, almost seven years later I'm still sruggling with it, although I haven't worked on it all the time. For the last few months, I've been working on the book from two different angles. The group has been so helpful with the first chapters I can't say thank you loud enough or often enough, but lurking in the background has been an ongoing problem with the middle chapters. Now, you can't have an arc without both ends and the middle and my arc has been looking more like a deflated souffle. Early this morning, it came to me that I was trying to make my protaganist and another key character, (sorry, he has to remain a secret,) too perfect. Wake up Warren, teens are not perfect. Hello! By allowing a character flaw to show, several chapters fall into place. Well almost anyway. I feel like one of the actors on the Windows 7 commercials. So for the time being, I have to do some plot line changes. For right now, I have to go get some more coffee. It's going to be a long day.

First Chapter Frustration.

Re-writng the first chapter to bypass the prologue has taken up my whole day and I'm not pleased with any of the possibilities so far. The prologue is so powerful and so dramatic that the without it, the beginning is about as exciting as a public service announcement about bedbugs. It just lacks the punch. I may just forget it and take a chance with the prologue but I'm not giving up yet. Of course, changing the first chapter means that at least chapter two and possibly more will have to be changed too. Good lord, what have I started?

The first thing to consider is that there is not one but two crisis in the very first chapter. I also have to show the strengths in my protaganist's character in that chapter while at the same time, whistling Yankee Doodle Dandy while juggling seven oranges. Oh, all right,. that's a slight exaggeration but not all that much.

What really surprises me is that I found a way to do it, almost at least. The biggest problem I have is that it makes the chapter seem hurried, almost frenetic. Too much, too soon, too fast.
So, tomorrow, I start again. I intend to have my submittal ready for the critique meeting by Monday at the latest. I hope they are in a kind frame of mind but after all, the one thing you absolutely must have from your critique partners is honesty. Brutal if necessary, but above all, honesty. Let's see what I can get done tomorrow.