These last couple of weeks I've found myself coming into the place where I can concretely express why the joy of writing can be so compelling and fulfilling.
In a nutshell, it's the experience of the story writing itself.
Let me preface this by saying that you do start with a plan - an outline of some sort. You kind of pattern it out in your head (or on paper); I've done both. Most times getting underway with a new tale is, without question, the hardest. Laying the groundwork, the 'start-up' and where it needs to go can be huge - and difficult.
But then - aahh - once you're beginning to roll and things are (roughly) falling into place, then the fun begins! It's when your characters are getting well-developed enough ('cause you've taken the time to), they start to grow of their own accord. And once these established individuals begin to interact with one another, those very interactions oftentimes change how you originally imagined the story arc playing out!
It's almost like real life - or - any book you're reading for the first time. You don't know where it's going or how it's going to end (unless, of course, it's a predictable story); it's the very reason you're doing recreational reading for enjoyment in the first place!
When you have the blessing (like I tend to have a lot), of being able to write a tale in this same fashion as you read one, it is really utter magic! This is probably one of the key elements that keep me engaged enough to continue penning the crazy novels that I do.
My current brainchild, Em-Erika, is doing exactly that. This project is the first time I've actually taken the time to map out a detailed storyboard synopsis prior to the actual writing. Now, practically 32 chapters into it, the deviations from the outline are many and vast.
Best example on this one is the fact that some early research for the story revealed that I'd be unable, in the time period being written, to have a female professor at a university where a character could receive mentoring from. This forced me to change it up to where the tutoring the character would get had to come from a (female) classmate instead. As such, I had to develop the new girl to a degree - to the point she became perfect fodder for a needed antagonistic element later in the story!
You cannot always anticipate these occurrences, and I think, sometimes aren't supposed to! I'm coming into the realization that this is how the true creative flow works! It's absolutely great, and why I figure I'll keep doing this as long as good flow keeps streaming!
