Wednesday, January 25, 2012

I Know Why!

Okay, so it's well-known that Sherry (and sometimes Valerie) like to twit me about WHY? But WHY? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?

As discussed yesterday, Valerie insisted there MUST be a plot to drive the story, so it seems oddly and ironically fitting that I was in the car this morning, on my way home from dropping Kiddos #3 and #1 off for school...listening to Toby Keith as I sat in the long line of cars inching through the 3-way stop intersection when the brainstorm hit. 



The ideas are marinating even as we speak, which is good, and I'm excited to get to the writing today. 

And of course, I had to IM Sherry as soon as I got home, to share the news. She's already in a state of disbelief that I'm going back to do some layering before the rough draft is fully completed (she wickedly accused me of mocking her - as if I would do something like that) and her response to my joyful "I know Why!" was: 


Stop it. It's early and my heart is delicate.
Sherry Jones


Then she provided me a list of MORE Why's to consider. Because she can't help herself. Gotta love her determination to drag me into thinking on a more conscious level about plotting, rather than the unconscious level I tend to prefer. 

Why?

It's the most important question you can ask about what happens in your WIP. If you know why, you're well on your way.

However...I am hereby cancelling all "Why" pop quizzes. I do know why...I just don't always have it defined enough to articulate it to someone. That's the great thing about writing...no one can tell in the final product just how it got written. :D By the time I'm finished, all the why's have been addressed. 

&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&

A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is - full of surprises.
Isaac Bashevis Singer




No comments: