I hesitated long and hard over the title of this post, mainly because what i wanted to write seemed so ridiculously pretentious that it was unworthy of a first blog post.
But the sentiment is true. Coming back to writing, after an absence of almost 20 years has made me dream again.
I first tried to get back into writing about 4 years ago when i had one grand story idea - but i didn't have the mechanics to write it. I wrote one chapter which was very poor indeed. Then I got demotivated and got pulled back into music.
2 years later i completely rewrote the first chapter. It's artless, but as the start to a story it has dramatic potential. But the characters and the actual plots have been nebulous. I realised i knew nothing of the culture, the people - i couldn't write from my experiences or imagine why the characters do the things they do. I am an inexperienced writer and i have so much to learn.
Working with audiobooks has kick started my interest in writing - it's how i ended up here. Not because i want to make lots of money or go the publishing route (although i certainly wouldn't say no..) but because i want to learn to write the kinds of stories i would like to read.
8 weeks ago. The word of Edgar Allen Poe are burning in me from working on an adaption of "Tell Tale Heart." I can feel the rhythms and cadences that Poe uses. How his sentence structure changes to contrast calm civility and madness.
I've suddenly started to get story ideas. I started writing a short story which blossomed and became more of a novel - i've written into two chapters and parked it because another story came along which seemed to just pour out.
For the last week i became obsessed with a story
and have managed to complete the first draft - it's just over 7500 words long - the longest i've written. It seems consistent within itself - a PKDian science fiction tale - split into two halfs.
But more importantly, even though it's only first draft - it's a complete story with a beginning, a middle and an end.
I'm sure in time to come i'll look back with embarassment at it's clunky use of metaphor, spelling and grammar - it's 16 years since i last took an english class. I'm sure i'll wince at the terrible dialogue, the hackneyed plot.
Wheras previously i was agonising over plot points before even touching a pen to the page this has flowed from start to completion naturally.
I think it was a post that w176 wrote about exploration writing that set me off.
I may well post it here one day. But only after i've sufficiently revised it to the point that i'm happy for anyone to read it. Then i hope it's subjected to a mauling. Savage me - that's the only way to become a better writer.
And in that last week i've dreamt more than i have in the last 10 years.
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