A Fork In The Road

Dear Reader,

I am like a rat stuck in a maze. Allow me to explain.

I was doing the dishes earlier, minding my own business, when my head got a near violent shock. Don't worry, it was metaphorical, not physical. As I was doing this menial task, I realized that a story I started a few weeks ago needed to be completely scrapped. Well, not exactly. I just had to change the title. This wasn't mecessarily because I didn't think the title fit. Actually, I needed that title somewhere else, and my brain let me know that as I was drying a plate. I almost dropped it, the shock was so big.

My mind is constantly doing this to me. It is always changing. After I finished the dishes, I sat down to start writing this new story. After the first two sentences, I hit my first fork: is the main character animate or inanimate. More specifically, I thought I could tell this story through the eyes of a human or a stuffed animal. I decided to go with human and write another version if I still felt strongly about the stuffed animal idea later.

Okay, so that hurdle got cleared, but it was only two more paragraphs before I hit my next fork. I thought my character was going to be just your everyday, average Joe (Ted, actually), except for the fact that he knew something other people didn't (sorry for being so vague, but I can't tell more until I'm sure of the story). I told my wife this idea, and she found it to be Vonnegut-esque. However, as I was writing, I realized this character could be one of many who has a specific job. This would not only alter my whole story, it would also change my Voice. If I took this new turn, I would be going from Vonnegut to Orwell.

This is a strange perdicament I find myself in. My story is constantly changing as I write it. This is especially interesting considering what my story is about. Oh, how I wish I could tell you more, Reader, but I just don't think we've reached that point in our relationship yet. Don't worry, it's not you. It's me. I am using you. I need somebody to talk to so I can sort out my brain and try to line things up. I hope you don't mind, Reader. I just needd to tell someone.

That is my problem. I hit way too many forks in the road. I've heard that if you find your story diverging in two different paths you should try experimenting with both of them to find out which one suits you best. I don't think I have that kind of time. My story is constantly changing. If I focus on two separate paths, eventually they will each break off into separate paths and so on and so forth. Oh, what do I do. Perhaps this is just my way of procrastinating. I truly believe that once I really get into it, my roots will start to anchor me down and the story will grow itself. I just need to nurture it in the right places and tend to it once its done (if that ever happens).

Thank you for listening to me, Reader. You have no idea how much your ear (or, in the case of a blog, eye) means to me. Feel free to give any advice you may have, though I expect nothing from you. Being there for me is enough. I promise that once I start getting settled and understand where my story is going and feel more confident about it, I will share more with you. Until then, Reader,

Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.

Yours,
James