There are some books that refuse to be written. They stand their ground year after year and will not be persuaded. It isn’t because the book is not there and worth being written — it is only because the right form of the story does not present itself. There is only one right form for a story and if you fail to find that form the story will not tell itself. Mark Twain
I am searching for the right form of my story right now and struggling with it. When I pitched in at the writer’s conference in April I knew exactly where it was going.Six months later it keeps changing…I suppose life has a lot to do with it. My goal is to have the completed manuscript done and ready to go in April 2008, just in time for the Pikes Peak Writers Conference.
The last time I was enrolled in college level creative writing classes, I also had this problem. I had the story. I couldn’t figure out the form. My shorts read like novel chapters and my novel chapters like shorts. Many of them are unfinished because I don’t know what to do with them. Some of them are creeping into this manuscript.This week I am behind in my submissions but I hope to do some catch up this weekend.
Today, take a look at your unfinished projects are they just in the wrong form? How could you give them life elsewhere? Try a new form of writing.
Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag