I saw the lion king last night. It was wonderful. Visually stunning. I would see it again if I could afford the tickets. The costumes, the props, the set, it was all beautiful. It must be amazing to see your work come together in a show like that. I don't think that I will ever write anything that will become a broadway show, but hey you never know.
I got an email from an editor who will remain nameless, with submission guidlines for a new anthology. Now that I have those four pages of rules in my tiny little novice hands, I can honestly say I was scared I wouldn't get them. I don't know why. I still have those nightmares of editors shredding my stories and shoving them into an exploding can and sending it fedex. Someone told me a few weeks ago, that as long as an editor doesn't send you a regection letter FedEx, you're ok. Could you imagine! "This story was so bad, I had to contact you within 24 hours to tell you how much you suck!"
So I am still reading STORY. There are a few other recommended readings that I might check out, but now I have a whole new list of books to read as research for this short story anthology. But I am really eager to start putting some of this theory to practice. I had a few Ahh Ha moments, while reading, and my own novel is stronger because of it.
After much thought on this whole idea of how-to books on writing, I decided that you can teach specific elements of the craft, but you can't teach imagination, or creativity. Writing is hard. It's the reason so many great writers had tragic deaths. Ok maybe that isn't the only factor. But it is hard work and I truly believe that anyone can have a good idea, know a little bit of grammar and decide they want to write a book. But there is a reason so many people start and never finish. It takes a certain amount of insainity to spend hundreds of hours on something that may only serve as firestarter. There are no promises with writing. No guarantees. And it isn't the best way to get rich quick. Heck, it isn't the best way to get rich period. You have to do it because you have no other choice. Because you can't imagine not writing, because you have this story and you are going to burst at the seams if you don't tell someone soon. Me, I have hundreds of stories. Well, maybe not hundreds, but I have at least three novels rolling in my head at this vary moment, two of which are the first books in sequels, and about fifteen short stories in progress, or sketched out.
Sometimes I know the characters, and they want me to share their story. Other times, I have never met the characters. I just know the event, the outcome, the climax. I see bits and peices and I have to put them all together so that they make sense to the reader. I can do it. It will just take time.
