Rumination

While ruminating the contents of today’s post it was suggested to me that I should write a post on rumination. So I did. Wallah! No, I didn’t pick this topic because it was Thursday night and I had zilch and my eyelids felt like they were trying to lift 50lb dumbells, although that’s 100% true. I acknowledged while trying to think of a topic that I do an inordinate amount of ruminating before I’m willing to hit the keyboard.

I actually have a fabulous example at the ready. I’m currently working on a story that involves knowing the major apocalyptic myths of three different pantheons of gods. I chose Greek mythology, Norse, and Hindu. The Hindu is making me jump through loops, not only do I have no minor base of reference in my head to use as a jumping point, but do you have any idea how many gods –let alone groups of gods– make up Hinduism? And so many of the gods have alternates, nope, that’s not the right term but that’s what I’m using for these deities who embody multiple personae.

Where’s my coffee at?

Anyway, the research has been equal parts frustrating and fascinating. For instance, I was researching a minor character, Bagala, last week, because I needed a better idea of her role even though I didn’t have big plans for her. Honestly, she’s mentioned maybe three times in the same scene of my story right now, I just needed a better idea of her so I could relay her in those scenes. And initially, I came across her name on a fluke. Now I’ve hit pay dirt!

I discovered that she has a major association with gold and yellow, lotus flowers, and Southern India; more importantly, she’s the epitome of justice, she is the righter of wrongs, the silencer of liars, and she has the ability to turn things into their opposites, amongst a plethora of other abilities and associations. I have her cast as a member of the group of trouble makers who are the antagonists of my story, that’s not going to change at all because now I can subvert expectations of her and add a layer of depth about her true motivations in my story. A layer I desperately need. AND, I have the perfect mental image for a medallion I need in my story to make a plot twist work.

*happy dance*

Can you tell I am so excited? And this all falls on top of me having read my very first spewy draft and not actually hating what I had written. Huzzah! I’m very pleased right now with the direction of my story and I owe a great deal of this to ruminating. Thus, my advice to each and every writer out there is to think, overthink, go back to the drawing board, research, and think some more. Rumination is one of the finest tools out there.

Happy ruminating!