Recently a fellow writer told me she was having trouble getting her story out of her head and onto the page. Scenes in literature don't just "play out" written down, like they do in your head. Like in the movies. It just doesn't work that way.
Except it does.
In the beginning, before anything is ever written, there is a scene. That daydream you can't get out of your head. Those staring-into-space moments that can unexpectedly bring on the start of a story - in the form of a simple scene. The trick is holding on to that original scene. That scene that's just so perfect inside your mind. Because sometimes it feels like the more you write, the harder it is to hold on to that scene. Before, there was emotion. Before, there was power.
Once upon a time, you felt a spark when that daydream of a story first spoke to you. And I know how to help you find it again:
- Each time you find yourself feeling frustrated at what you're writing, stop. Stop writing, stop thinking. Just imagine. Imagine the scene as if it were playing out right now, just like that first time it popped into your head.
- Make a mental note of how everything feels - feel the characters, feel the setting, feel the story. It could be you had just forgotten what makes the scene "tick", it's purpose.
- Maybe you'll find the scene you originally thought was perfect, doesn't feel quite as right as it used to, and now needs to be approached a little differently. Maybe you just needed a reminder about why you'd chosen to tell this story in the first place.
Photo belongs to leighblackall
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