Into the Fire

The only place I wander nowadays is in my head. Scenes, dialogue, new characters, their names – those kinds of things. It's funny how, as a writer, I'll hear or see a name and instantly a character will own that name and the full name that follows or precedes it. At times an author really can/does check out of the present ongoings to live in the "other" world going on inside his or her head. So forgive those vacant stares into an indefinable space. We're busy! 

The inspirations that come from these wanderings are like shimmering diamonds in the sunlight, radiating their rainbow facets into bright light. Latching onto snappy repartee, a perfect retort, something genuinely funny, or the opposite. Precision expression brings soulful personal rewards, and we hope what has moved us to write it will bring that emotional touch to the reader's soul. 

We know the story must resonate, but for many of us we need the characters, the locations, the activities – whatever makes the story tick – to touch chords of recognition, identification, similarities, surprises, positive or negative reactions depending on the scenes. It's a process. Sometimes it moves quickly and sometimes it drags as we share both the joys of keeping up with the words required as they fall from our fingertips or we experience panic as those same fingers still on the keys while our eyes see nothing but blank picture frames in our minds. 

Welcome to the world of wandering for this writer on this Wednesday . . . 

Father, I've said it hundreds of times and it still applies: Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.