Sometimes the best stories don’t chase after you, begging to be written. You have to hunt them down like the ever elusive white stag.
You have to dig them out of the deep places of the earth, like precious gems.
You have to dive into the depths of the sea and retrieve them, like ancient treasure from the wreckage of a sunken ship.
Victory won through sweat and sacrifice is that much more dear. And a story penned through tears and toil, mined from the depths of the earth, hounded from the farthest reaches of the forest, often rings truer than the story that springs nigh fully formed into your head one morning.
I’m still hunting the plot for my newest story, By Sword, mining my characters out of the rocks, and following their pathless trail through the forest. And it’s hard work. Discouraging, sometimes. But every once in a while, a tiny sliver of gold breaks through that inspires me to keep going, to keep hunting, to keep typing.
To hunt inspiration with a club.
Where are you in your writing? Are you hunting inspiration or refining gold?
Fab post, Gillian! Totally agree on your point about a hard-won victory being sweeter than an easy one. That said, though, I'm going to be refining gold mostly after November, because there's a certain old trilogy of mine that's very dear to my heart that I feel could be really fantastic with a good polish and rewrite.
All the best with your new story – I can't wait to get hold of "Out of the Darkness Rising" too!
Yup! Too true but oh! how you long for those morning whole story inspirations!
Congratulations on winning the Go Teen Writers contest! I'm sure working with Stephanie will be wonderful. :)
~Sarah
Thanks Sarah! Yes, I'm looking forward to it. :)