New Beginnings
“’Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from
here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.”
– Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
It never fails. The sudden flip of the switch turning on the
light bulb of an awesome idea comes when you’re smack dab in the middle of your
current project. You may grab a notebook and jot it down for later or even take
the time to type out the opening paragraphs to use when your time is your own.
But first things first, you have to finish what you’re working on. You’ve got a
deadline and a blank page to fill.
In my last post, I discussed the difficulty of endings and
that anxious feeling one gets when the end is in sight but still unreached.
When you’ve got a new project waiting, the feeling intensifies. You’ve tried to
purge it from your mind so you can continue on with your Work In Progress, but
it calls to you from where it’s hidden in the dark corner of your mind. You
keep telling it to hush until finally, your WIP is complete. You’re free of the
deadlines and free to pursue a new WIP.
You approach your idea file almost bursting with
anticipation. You flip through each possibility wanting to make the right
choice. All the voices of all the ideas shout for your attention, but one
invariably raises its voice above the others. This is the idea you choose to
pursue. The others slink back to their hiding spots in those dark corners of
your mind, pouting until their turn finally comes.
You turn on your laptop and open your word processing
program. A blank page fills the screen full of possibilities and waiting to be
full of life. The cursor blinks in anticipation of the words that will soon
cover the page. It’s time. The idea steps into the light, and its energy
courses through you and into your fingertips loosing itself through each touch
of the keyboard.
Worlds take shape. Fully formed characters emerge to take
their place on the stage your idea created. Characters and plot step in time
together creating a beautiful dance of tension and resolution in the ballroom
of your setting. It’s a passionate dance that will leave future readers steeped
in emotion and fully invested in it. The story becomes a thing of unrivaled
beauty. And it all starts with a new beginning.
By the Book: With the three books in Katie’s story complete,
I find myself at a place of beginning. I love Katie’s story, but I can’t deny
the fresh dose of excitement I feel for my new WIP. Starting something new can
be scary, but it can also infuse your life with new energy and excitement. If
you’re facing a new beginning with trepidation but know it is where God would
have you, pray for Him to reveal aspects of this change that you can be excited
about. Ask Him to give you a different perspective about this new adventure and
fill you with hope and anticipation for it.
