Sunday, April 4, 2010

beginnings

Writing a novel is like reading a book that you can't put down.

Ever.

Thoughts, characters, action constantly swirl in your head until they are put on the page. But, even after the words meet the paper, sentences still need tweaking, voices need adjusting, descriptions need brilliance.

Eventually, the swirl melds together and the story becomes cohesive. And interesting. And gripping. Hopefully.

I didn't start out to write a novel.

Like anything creative, Pearl Edda, began as a thought, a whim, a whatif. As I dabbled with a couple paragraphs that I had written a few years ago, the whatif grew, exponentially. It came into its own.

And took over my life.

For a year.

I wrote when I had the time. And mostly when I didn't have the time. I would write into the night, my eyes barely focusing, and then I would wake up with moments of clarity. Those "ah-ha" times that seemed to come sporadically, but were ultra precious.

My characters would have conversations in my head. While I was nowhere near my computer. Frustrating. Especially when I was driving. Or needing to be listening intently elsewhere.

Like to my children. Or my husband.

Several God moments happened along the way.

The evening before my laptop crashed, I listened to the still, small voice that told me to email to myself the fifty pages that I had written.

Walking into a place that I had not been for awhile and seeing a friend whom I had not seen in a year, the first thing she tells me is that she has been teaching Norse mythology as a grad student, and would be happy to help me with this project. And she gave amazing feedback.

Choosing a Norse god who has a story, but not much written about him, enabling me to create his character.

Joining a writer’s group of wonderful, wacky people with enormous insight, brilliant minds and off-beat humor.

Having uber-cool friends who were willing to read the first draft. And the second. And the third.

Being able to write at a wonderful bed and breakfast in Montana and actually immerse myself in the very setting of my characters.

So, a novel has been born.

Pearl Edda.

1 comment:

  1. Congratulations on this amazing birthing! This is soooo up Annie's alley right now...I'll be steering her to the excerpts!

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