It's Magic! (Really)

Recently I had the chance to talk with a gathering of book clubs. My favorite thing about visiting a book club is hearing what people think of my book. It never ceases to surprise me what they say. They find stuff I hadn’t even realized was in there. They tell me about a lesson learned, a character’s motivation, a funny line, hidden symbolism, and even ways the book changed their perspective. All of this floors me, making me ever more convinced of the magic of writing. I couldn’t have written a story that good. And I didn’t.

It was magic.

Sitting down to write a new story is exciting and scary for me. I just never know what’s going to happen. In fact, during the month or two it takes to spit out the basic story, I feel like I’m living in two worlds- my own world that includes a kitchen floor desperately in need of a mop, several foster puppies who trashed my favorite shoes, and kids that want to be fed, and the world on my laptop, the story that I’m currently writing, tentatively titled Berry Road.

I find myself distracted by the story on Berry Road so much so that I miss turns, let the soup boil over, forget to turn off the hose. When I’m forced to quit writing for the day because people in my house expect rides to practice and dinner on the table, I have to literally tear myself away. Writing days goes by in a flash. I’m shocked to see what time it is and hear the familiar slam of the kitchen door announcing the arrival of my precious kiddos. Sometimes I’m in the middle of a scene or situation that leaves my characters in a bad spot. So, I worry about them. They follow me to the grocery store and on my morning run, the reel playing over and over again in my head. I’m here, but I’m not here. They need me to get back to the keyboard. And I can’t. Not until tomorrow.

At this latest gathering, someone asked me what my process for writing is – do I have it all mapped out before I start. This is becoming a familiar question. Most people don’t like my answer. I don’t like it either. It makes me feel less than legit. My answer is no. I have no idea what’s going to happen. Well, that’s not correct. I might have an idea or two, but inevitably, I’ve learned, that’s not what happens.

Take my current story. I gave my publisher a premise for the story. It’s in my contract. Thankfully, the premise is pretty vague and my editor seems like a pretty nice guy, so let’s hope no one is holding me to it. The story has headed off in all kinds of other directions barely skimming the premise and most of the time deserting it altogether. It’s a great story though. It keeps surprising me. I can’t wait every day to sit down and see what will happen.

Today I came to what I think might possibly be the end. Bummer. So I went back to the beginning and began the grueling part of this whole process – editing. UGH. But this is where it becomes a real story. This is where I cut and slash and plump up and shave off and carve out a real story. Unearth the magic.

This is the part where I have to be a “writer” instead of simply an “imaginer.” The fun is over. I feel a little sad, but still excited. I love this story. There are some really great characters in it. I’m excited to spend the next two months inside their heads making sense of what has happened. I’ve had such a good time getting to know them and I hope I can do their story justice.

And somewhere down the road, maybe a year from now, when I get to visit a book club and hear what people think about this book, that’s when I’ll find out how much magic is happening right now. Right here on this very laptop.