Writerly Things…2/25/18

Traci Kenworth

This past week, I was ill, so you may notice the Writing and Reading Links are pared down. I tried to do what I could to make up for lost time but alas, fell short. I watched a podcast of Stephen King’s where he shows how he grows ideas. It’s funny, because I’m working on a post about such myself. I kind of do some of what he does. Which is allow the idea to sink in and invade my thoughts until it grows into full form. I do, however, makes notes where he does not. My notes serve to remind me what I was thinking as my memory tends to not be so great with the bipolar and things get confused if I don’t write them down.

I tend to work in waves, so to speak. Sometimes, things are a trickle. Other times, it’s like a great flood. The story sticks. It’s just some of the pieces may get lost in the tide if I don’t jot in a notebook. I was measuring my idea for HA last night and decided instead of a campus, I’m going to go with just the one building. It’d be easier to hide. The campus isn’t going to be scrapped however. I’m going to use that in a future scary story set at college. Everything gets used, just recycled here and there.

I really enjoyed Stephen King’s story on how Cujo came to him with a visit to a garage in the country. I live in the country and my first story I wrote novel-length came to me through the clopping of hooves on the pavement. Instantly, a character who was a villain formed in my mind. That was the story I tried to rewrite earlier last summer. It just didn’t work out. Too much time was lost, and some plots just can’t be fixed. They are so mired.

I mention that story because the main villain is going to be recycled somewhat for one of the character’s abilities. So, even if you don’t use one story, pieces of it can still get picked up later and re-used. I wouldn’t have figured out what to do differently with this character if not for that earlier prototype. Have you ever recycled some of your stories into new ones?

Have a great day, take care, and God bless!