Seeing the Story


I enjoy seeing the story develop when I write.

The characters may appear to me before a story takes shape, as the story gets going, or in future chapters. When I start writing, I have little idea as to where I would like the story to go… I just write, and with the help of the characters, follow the events as they occur.

I like writing this way, but then I only write short parts or short stories… I don’t know if writing this way would help me with a book-length story. I suppose I could have a start and end point, and allow the story to develop by itself between these points. That would help both with individual chapters and the whole story, thinking about it.

The stories are easier for me to write if I like the characters. Even the baddies have to be likeable, but sometimes I have to stop writing the way they want the story to go, and veer them along a different path.

Just because I’m witnessing how the story is developing, it doesn’t mean that I can’t change things. Annoying as this may be to the characters, it adds a different angle to the story… and hopefully the reader.

Myrtle and Ognar Rance are two of my latest characters that I enjoy working with (writing a about). These and their acquaintances make random, intermittent appearances in a variety of my posts, and my mind is gearing up to veer their story ever so slightly, yet at the same time, significantly, over the forthcoming weeks.

‘Hear that, Myrtle?’ Ognar asks with a cheery and enthusiastic tone. ‘We’re in for bigger and better things!’

‘I can’t wait, my darling butternut squash,’ Myrtle slides out of her husband-adapted chair, ‘I’ll get designing us some clobber so we’re all ready!’

Ognar tilts his chair forward so he too can stand. ‘And I, my little pomegranate, will invent us a form of transport to get there. We have to travel in style!’

And they will.

I’m sure…

9 responses to “Seeing the Story”

  1. Sue Dreamwalker avatar

    Loved this… It brought a huge smile… 🙂 xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      I’m happy and pleased about that, Sue. Thank you! 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Visionkeeper avatar

    Quite the couple TL….You do find the interesting ones 🙂 They look to be a great source for some interesting tales ahead. Thanks! VK

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      They’re quirky and fun, VK. I’ll have fun putting them in lots of random situations! 😀

      Like

  3. europasicewolf avatar

    They are the most appealing couple Tom! Personally, having tried patching together short stories/sections, I have only met with partial success. IMO anyway. I found the short stories lost their “oomph” a little, when merged into something bigger and “better.” And it wasn’t so easy to fill n the connecting gaps between different “shorties.” And sometimes a short story naturally flows into something longer over time without involving other existing works. ✨️ What I did realise was that privately at least, I could combine various short stories with moderate success, but also, maintain the individual ones as stand alone stories with their own individual fire and excitement, and the possibility of adding more as new and separate works 😃

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom avatar

      I agree (about the couple and the short stories!).
      I think if the short stories are to be combined into a longer one, they either need to be clearly marked as different days / times of day… or rewritten! 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      1. europasicewolf avatar

        I found it to be very hard work no matter how I did it. Sounded great in theory. Not so much so in practice. Also, I’m usually quite attached to my shorties by the time I’m thinking of mixing and matching and I feel bad about mashing my shorties into longies where they lose their original impact!😅

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Tom avatar

          I see. Shorties and longies. A solution: write longer shorties or shorter longies and all will be good! 😀

          Liked by 1 person

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