Last week hubby and I made a quick trip out of town to see family. When I leave home—my messy office, my books piled in every corner, the creative atmosphere (and dust) I breathe on a daily basis—I’m about as far away from writing as I can be—mentally and emotionally. It’s as if I’ve entered another dimension, one that drains me of my life blood. That sounds melodramatic—even to me—but it’s exactly the way I feel.
When we travel, I usually drive. Hubby can read, write, text, sleep … I can’t do any of those things without getting car sick so it makes sense that I drive. I can think.
There’s a specific anthology I want to submit to but the deadline is looming—April 15th and I haven’t had a pinch of an idea. On the way back to Louisiana, it hit me: my characters, the plot, the dialogue and the ending. I used to get all kinds of ideas while driving but never like this—never a complete story. I could see their faces. I could hear their voices. I could smell the flowers—wisteria— growing on their property.
I wrote it over and over in my head for four hours, listening to what the characters had to say. Watching them move. Four hours–that’s how long the trip is. The moment we unloaded and I settled onto my favorite corner of the sofa, I grabbed my laptop and captured the story. I couldn’t afford to lose my momentum. I wrote it in its entirety, then put it out of my mind for several days.
Would I like it when I went back to it? Would it make sense? Are there holes I can’t see? Is it too sparse?
I’ve tweaked, added a few things here and there, but I’m finished. I’ll be emailing it later this week.
I can’t help but marvel at how this story came to me, almost perfectly intact. What made it different from other trips and other stories? I haven’t a clue.
Tell me how you write—where? Do you write your short stories in snatches of time or all at once? Do you think about writing constantly or am I just obsessed? Do you ever put writing out of your mind? Tell me how and when you’re able to do that?
Alex says
April 5, 2016 at 12:03 amI don’t drive, but I never minded the bus because I can do things during the ride.
So far it seems like my stories just pop up to the front of my mind every once in a while and I work out a little bit more of them. They’re slow brewed.
(Also oh thank goodness i’m not the only one cutting deadlines close for anthologies this month! Mine’s on the 30th though. I should really try brainstorming it.)
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 9:52 amAlex, I’ve only ridden a bus a few times. It’s great for people watching. I know I couldn’t write or read because I’d be too distracted eyeing everyone. 🙂 Good luck with your deadline!
Jessica Triana says
April 5, 2016 at 12:45 amMy experiences are very similar, I spend a lot of time fleshing stories out in my imagination before writing, but I haven’t ever had a short story come to me instantly in its entirety. Sounds good…I’d like some of that action!
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 9:54 amYes, Jessica, I want MORE of that action. It felt a little odd. 🙂 That story feels so “special” to me, I know I’ll be disappointed if its “intended home” rejects it but hey, I’ll try to market it somewhere else. Can’t wait to get it off!!
Michelle Wallace says
April 5, 2016 at 1:56 amThis confirms something I read in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic.
Have you read it? Please do so if you haven’t.
To cut a long story short, she says that a story travels around looking for a “host”. When it comes to you, grab it and write it. If you don’t, it will leave and go to a more willing recipient. This explains why we sometimes hear an author say that somebody has written the story they had been planning to write for ages…
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 10:03 amThanks Michelle, I haven’t read that book. I’ll track it down. I’ve always thought that about ideas … that they drift through the air and all we have to do is reach out and grab one. If we don’t, it moves to someone else. I’ve seen it happen way too often — when I didn’t grab.
Angie Kay Dilmore says
April 5, 2016 at 11:40 amGood for you, Jess! I’m glad you had such a productive drive. We went to Dallas last weekend. I wish I could use that time so effectively! But as a primarily non-fiction writer, I rarely have such epiphanies. I occasionally get a snippet of an idea, a cool story title, an interesting character sketch, but I’m really bad about fleshing it out and completing it. You are so inspiring!
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 5:01 pmNF writing is definitely different. I get ideas for creative NF, how-to books and memoirs but I haven’t really completed anything I’ve started except articles. I have an outline for one or two, some false starts but I feel like I’m boring the reader so don’t finish. Not sure how to keep a long NF work moving. Hey, It’s time for you to get back to your novel!
Anne says
April 5, 2016 at 12:27 pmJessica,
Driving can be such a great time for inspiration. On long drives I’ve occasionally used my phone to take dictation of fiction. That could bug your passenger though if there’s two of you. Or maybe not. 🙂 Hope the story goes well!
Anne
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 4:56 pmAnne, I only talk into a recorder or phone if I have no other choice. I’m originally from Texas and my East Texas accent drives me nuts if I have to HEAR it. 🙂 I also downloaded the Dragon app that I speak into but I can only do a little at a time; it seems to get lost if it’s very long.
Ey Wade says
April 5, 2016 at 1:07 pmI love it when the characters are so alive, they make it happen like that. I haven’t had a complete story fall out of the attic, but I’ve been near. The rush is totally exciting.
Hope it all works out as you wish.
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 4:53 pmHi Nancy! This is probably a first for me when it comes to “falling out of the attic.” I sent it off today so my fingers are crossed. 🙂
Ryan Carty says
April 5, 2016 at 1:47 pmI want to write in my head, but it never works. I want to outline stories from beginning to end, but can’t seem to focus. I write at my desk, composing it one sentence at a time, often shocked at where the story goes, as surprised as a reader might be at certain outcomes. I write on the fly, for good and bad. That sort of writing requires careful editing after the draft is done (well, multiple careful edits…too many careful edits), but it is the only way I succeed.
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 4:49 pmI often sit at my desk and write one word after another with no idea where it’s going. I have four novellas I can’t wait to get back to. I wrote them that way… just knew my main characters. They need a lot of editing! Thanks for popping in, Ryan.
Ula says
April 5, 2016 at 2:55 pmWalking is where I get my inspiration and story ideas. I also rarely get the whole story at a time – usually it’s just a snippet or mood or a character that intrigues me.
Good luck with your submission.
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 4:47 pmUla, thanks for visiting me. I’m curious to know if you walk alone. And I usually get snippets of story too. This was a first. I sure hope it happens again some day SOON!
@IsaLeeWolf says
April 5, 2016 at 3:13 pmI am amazed you kept it all for that long! I lose things if I don’t write them immediately…I probably would have pulled over to get it down. 🙂
Writing for me lately has been more of the work variety, the putting in the time to get something out. But I love it when you get a flow like that. It’s what keeps us writing, I think.
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 4:45 pmIsaLeeWolf, I’m amazed too! I’ve never had that happen. I think it’s safe to say my husband wasn’t talkative on the way back or I probably couldn’t have kept it in my head. 😉
Damyanti says
April 5, 2016 at 6:24 pmA fully-formed story has come to me twice that I can remember, and both times, the stories have done very well. It is like the opening of a channel or something, that closes back after a while.
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 6:54 pmThanks Damyanti, that’s interesting. 🙂
Heather Duff says
April 5, 2016 at 7:55 pmGood post…great questions! I don’t think I’ve ever had the story come together like you shared. What a gift that was!
I don’t like writing in short spurts. I feel like I don’t have enough time to get into it. (This is probably to my detriment.) And I don’t think about my story much when I’m not writing or intentionally plotting with my sketchpad in hand, probably because I’m not good at switching gears or multi-tasking.
Let’s see…I don’t think I could drive and work on a story at the same time. I’d probably drive through red lights and miss all my turns.
For me it starts with the flash of a scene. I don’t write it immediately, but I wait until it keeps pestering me. And it’s only that flash. When I can’t stand it any longer I sit down and start typing until I get that first scene. After that, I get the sketchpad out and start to have some fun with plotting/outlining. (I’ve just recently started outlining. It seems to be working better for me.)
This was fun, Jess. : ) Interesting to read the comments here, too.
Jessica Ferguson says
April 5, 2016 at 8:06 pmI think it’s interesting to learn how everyone writes. We’re all different, we’re all striving for the same goal. Visualizing so many of us all across the country, the world, sitting at our “work stations” pouring our dreams onto paper … makes my heart pound with excitement. I feel connected.
Debra says
April 6, 2016 at 5:10 amI think about writing all the time too, but I tend to write in snatches as things come to me. Rarely does a whole story come at one time.
Jessica Ferguson says
April 6, 2016 at 6:59 amDebra, it’s sure rare for me, but I love it!