The Elusive Writing Epiphany

 

The Elusive Writing Epiphany

 

As a writer, I definitely have days when I’m sloggingthrough, trying to get to my word count for the day and hoping for somethingexciting that will keep me—and my potential future readers—eager to continue.

 

Then there are days when my characters enjoy talking to oneanother, and something emerges that I hadn’t quite expected. And that’sexciting! Encouraging! I feel better about the world, or at least my smallcorner of it.

 

But every so often, alchemy occurs. My characters takeactions that throw my whole plot up in the air. Actions I certainly hadn’tpredicted. And all I can do is sit back and take a deep breath.

 

Take my character Lucy, in my new novel for adults, Off toJoin the Circus. Lucy, a 35-year-old middle school English teacher and theyoungest of three daughters in a close-knit family, recently went through adivorce.

 

Both Lucy and I firmly believed that Lucy and her formerhusband, Jeff, went their separate ways because they couldn’t agree abouthaving children. Lucy wanted a child; Jeff did not. Their divorce was fairlyamicable.

 

But one day, Lucy and I had a sudden realization about Jeff andtheir marriage (I won’t get into it, in case anyone wants to read Off to Jointhe Circus) that caused us to rethink absolutely everything. I was stunned—as,of course, was Lucy.

 

The elusive writing epiphany. It appears when you leastexpect it. So here’s to more writing epiphanies in 2024, for us all.

 

--Deborah Kalb

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