I find myself in unfamiliar waters…and I wonder if I’m freaking out just a little. Here’s what happened. Friday morning I was making my drive to grammasit and a sudden thought hit me. Just a random, weird thought. The thought morphed into something else. And then again into something else. And suddenly…I had this plot for a book (almost a screenplay if I knew how to format one) running through my head. Now this hit HARD. Like really hard. Before I arrived at my aunt’s house I had various scenes flashing through my head for this potential story.
I told myself to slow down and thought back on Blake’s words. Something along the lines of… What’s your log line. If you don’t have a log line, you don’t know what your story is about. And so I thought, okay, good point. So I wrote a log line in my head. It was actually pretty obvious to me.
By the time I pulled into my aunt’s house, I flipped open my laptop and started typing. This doesn’t happen to me. I’m a pantser. And within an hour I had a polished log line and almost a page long break down of a blurb/mini synopsis. I then decided to test pitch it (like Blake suggests) because I was thinking anyone I pitched this to would give me a passive, sounds great response or something equally I forgot what you just said. But the first person I sent it to (Pat White, see yesterday’s post!) told me it was awesome and high concept. Told me I had to write it. I about fainted. Then thought, is it a fluke? Maybe only Pat liked it. I shot the pitch out to a few more people. I never got a tepid or vague encouragement. Everyone’s reaction was strong. With lots of Wows and phrases like break out novel.
So now I’m sitting here…the book still swirling in my head…and freaking out a bit. Because that’s not pressure or anything. *Grin* It’s like nothing I’ve ever written. It will be a challenge. And maybe that’s why I’m afraid. But as I said, I’m in new waters. I’m doing character profiles and a time line. Using an Excel doc. I don’t think I’ve ever plotted like this, oh, ever. I’ve done some minor plotting, but nothing to this extreme.
Part of me is like…forget you had this vision. Forget the notes you’ve taken all day. Just go back and write your usual stuff. Stay in your comfort zone. But I can’t. Even if this turns out to be the biggest piece of turd written (and hey, it’s possible) I need to at least try. Because that was one of my goals this year. Push myself. Step outside my comfort zone.
So, my goal for the weekend *gulp* is to write the first chapter. I will do it. Wish me luck! And please ask me Monday if I did it. :)
