I have normally do not have an issue with story development or world building, but I am finding that as I try to develop a new story, I am having issues.
Normally, I love my brain. It works in mysterious ways most of the time, but I love the way it works. This come out of nowhere that I find brilliant. One time I came up with an entire story from one line of dialogue. The whole story was there, not just bits and pieces, the whole thing. I knew what the issues were, what was going to happen, and how it was going to end. This happens a lot. Or when I come up with new stories, ideas come gradually but never few and far between.
However, that is not the case as I try to develop a certain new story. The idea came to me as a snipet and has practically stayed that way the whole time. Most of the time, when I try to develop the story and to learn where it will be going, it comes to me in big chunks. Not the case with this one. I got the idea as that tiny bit, what the characters were. Normally I get characters names and persons right away. Not so with this one. Characters names and personalities are not hard for me, but this time, it was nearly impossible. I'm not even sure I have them now. I keep thinking, oh, this person could be this or this person could be this, but then I think but this person could not be this but something else. I thought I had the two main characters but decided to change the name of the main girl character. Ugh. It is so frustrating. I wanted some of the characters to stay at a certain place but then I wondered why they stayed there or what purpose does it serve. This never happens to me. Most of the time I just have aha moments that astound me. Now, I wonder where my brain has gone. Possibly the bahamas. I suspect it is much warmer there.
I can't even figure out what the conflict of the story is. It is maddening. I feel like I have failed my brain, or perhaps that my brain has failed me. Either way. Last night I had a bit of a breakthrough with the story and I wanted to cry. It was one of those aha moments and I just wanted to cherish it. Because with this story, they are few and far between.
Well, there you have it folks, the rant of a girl who fears she has lost her aha moments.
