FTG Update

Incase anyone is wondering, progress has stalled, but has not been halted.

Here’s what happened.

I wrote a prologue. Then I started chapter 1. During chapter 1, I started filling in some back story. Then, I realized, it was going to take more than a casual “once upon a time” to cover it. So, I renamed the prologue as chapter 1 and started a new prologue.

Then things started getting out of control as I started working on the back story. I wanted to add more and more to it. It would take more than just a prologue. It could take several chapters. In fact, it could be a story all by itself.

I really like the prologue in intent. Gina didn’t like it; she liked chapter 1, though. I’ve reread the prologue a few times in the intervening weeks, and I still like it. Maybe it’s not well written, or maybe it’s not adequately expressing what it’s supposed to express; but I know what it’s supposed to express, and I guess that’s the part that I really like. The last paragraph of if is really significant, or, at least it’s supposed to be. Even as I think about it now I’m really happy with it. But, if I didn’t do it justice on paper, then it’s useless. I’ll try again. Maybe backing up the 20 years and building up to that moment will be more successful.

In an earlier post, I made a list of different story ideas that have been kicking around in my otherwise empty head. I forgot to mention one of them. It’s one I started to write 2 times but, like most things, never finished. I can use the basic idea of that unnamed story as the guts of this new thing that’s developing.

So, I have something all new in the works. I’m inheriting key plot points from another idea, but it’s all new characters and all new ramifications. It’s a whole new beast, which is the problem. Unlike the other things, I haven’t been pondering this one for years so it’s not well constructed. I’m lacking all of the mental work.

I’ve spent the last few weeks doing the mental work. I don’t say that casually; I have thought long and hard about it for hours a day for the last few weeks. It’s coming together. That’s not to say that that I will be successful in writing it, only that I almost have what I need to make the attempt.

The prologue introduced 3 characters. The new story starts with 2 of them 20 years ago, then works up to the time of the prologue, and then many years (I know exactly how many, but being intentionally vague) into the future. There are a couple more primary characters I have to develop, and work out a few details, but the important bits are all there. I should be ready to give it a whirl shortly.

In conclusion: It’s not dead. I didn’t have a short lived burst of motivation then lost it. It persists.