Summary

The author reflects on the cyclical nature of life and writing, discussing the process of creating a story and the inspiration behind it, while hinting at the potential for a sequel to their recent work, 'The Island.'

Abstract

The author contemplates the concept of change being the only constant, applying this philosophy to both their personal life and writing journey. They share insights gained from writing 'The Island,' emphasizing the importance of planning, finding dedicated time and space, and being open to new ideas. The author acknowledges the influence of fellow writer Tree Langdon in considering a sequel to 'The Island,' despite initial plans for a new, unrelated story. They offer practical advice for aspiring writers, such as using the interrogatives for story development, visualizing the story world, taking regular breaks to maintain concentration, and keeping an open mind to capture ideas from various sources. The author encourages writers to develop their own voice and maintain continuity throughout their narrative, stressing the importance of perseverance and editing to produce a polished final piece.

Opinions

The author believes in the oscillation of existence, where endings are merely the start of new beginnings.
They value the role of editing and revisiting previous work to ensure continuity and coherence in the narrative.
The author emphasizes the significance of a quiet writing environment and the necessity of negotiating time to write, especially for those with busy home lives.
Regular breaks are considered essential for maintaining concentration and productivity during the writing process.
Ideas for writing are seen as omnipresent, with the author suggesting that one must be receptive and ready to capture them as they arise.
The author suggests that a good idea is not proprietary and can come from anywhere, emphasizing the importance of an open mind.
They advocate for reading the story out loud to develop one's own unique voice and to engage the audience effectively.
The author maintains that persistence is key in writing, encouraging others to stick with their stories until the end and to continuously refine their work through editing.

The End Of The Journey, Or Just The Beginning?

There is no Alpha nor Omega, only change....

This is not the beginning.....

The apparent end of something is inevitably and immutably always the beginning of something else. I firmly believe that when the time comes, the end of this planet’s time will see the beginning of something else. I believe in the concept of oscillation. And this planet will in time both cease and begin to be. I believe it was ever thus and ever will be. There is no beginning and there is no end, just change. How it will be anew I can’t begin to imagine, though I could try.

It is with these thoughts in mind that I mull over my life in general and my writing in particular. In life, I will not die, I will simply be transformed into something else, even if it is only dust. Anything more than that, like everybody else, I will have to be patient and wait and see.

In my writing, I have just reached the end of a sojourn into my long distant past with the short story ‘The Island.’ Which was published in thirteen parts ‘well, twelve plus an epilogue) on Illumination. I thought for a short time that I had reached the end of that story. However, thanks to fellow writer and Illumination editor, Tree Langdon, CPA, CGA, I am now already thinking about a sequel. That was not my original intention, which was to begin a new short story unrelated to The Island. But I have willingly accepted Tree’s suggestion and will try to make a start on it in the next day or two.

I will, of course, apply what I have learned whilst writing 'The Island' and I would like to take this opportunity to pass on a little of what I have learnt.

First off, have a rough plan of what your story is going to be about. Think very much about where the action is going to take place, who is going to be in the story, what is going to happen and how. Also, ask yourself why you are telling this story. What are your motives, is it just for your own amusement, to reach out to others and connect, to get published, to make oodles of money.

Use the interrrogatives

If you read back what you have just read you will notice that I simply used the interrogatives. What, who, why, where, when, how, what for? That should always be your starting point. You will get a long way just asking yourself those questions and trying to answer them.

Find Time and Space

My next tip is that you find the time and space to set off on this arduous journey. That can be very difficult, but it is essential.

I could not possibly have written The Island without having total seclusion for many hours at home. Fortunately my wife has a full time job and is out of the house all day long. If you have not got my privilege then you have to negotiate with your partner for you to set some time aside each day to write. If you have to, get up early and do an hour or two before your partner rises, or before you have to go to work. That is what author John Grisham did and look where that discipline got him.

Get in the zone and visualise

Next, you have to get in the zone. That is to say, you have to close your eyes and very quietly try to imagine or visualise the world you are about to enter. Place yourself in a forrest somewhere, smell the pine trees, the mulch of rotting leaves, listen to the animals, the birds and the squirrels, breath in the clean fresh air…..then open your eyes and start to write.

Follow your plan, step by step, but be open to change. Look where your end point is, and then try to plot your course to reach it.

Time yourself out

If I can have a break say every hour or two I can write all day long and almost never get tired. Studies have shown that after twenty minutes our concentration begins to dip. From that twenty minute mark onwards, you are on the path of diminishing returns. By the hour you will definitely need a break. When you return, your concentration will be back at its max.

A break can be anything from a fifteen minute sit in the kitchen for coffee and a biscuit, to a two hour walk in the local park.

What is important is that you change the activity to give your brain a rest from that subject. Also, a healthy diet, exercise and rest/sleep are all very important too.

Creativity and ideas

Ahaaa, my favourite part. Ideas do not come from nowhere, though at times it may seem as if they do. During the course of a day you are being positively bombarded with great ideas, it’s just that a lot of the time we simply filter them out of our conscious mind to allow us to concentrate on what we consider other more important matters. What I have found helpful is cultivating the ability to step in and out of the real world into the imaginary world pretty much at will.

A good idea doesn’t care who had it.

Ideas are like butterflies, they flutter by from flower to flower without anybody hardly even noticing them. Try to be that next beautiful flower the butterfly lands on.

I get my ideas from various sources, from seeing something on the news, by reading an article or poem on Illumination, from unrelated chats with my lovely wife, from sitting on the porch at the front of our home, from randomly scrolling through Unsplash, from fellow Illumination writers and editors like Tree Langdon…..from just about anywhere. Just maintain an open mind and keep a butterfly net with you at all times.

Morning glory tells a story

Remember you are telling a story. Read it out loud to yourself to hear how it sounds.

Develop your own voice. Imagine it is a story you are telling your kids or your best mates.

Try to keep it interesting and engaging. Try to connect with your listeners.

You need eyes in the back of your head

As you plot your way forward, don’t forget to peek back at where you have come from to maintain continuity. If a curve ball idea hits you, use it and go back to do an edit to make it all tie in with the whole.

Stick at it to the end

Once you have started don’t stop, except for breaks. When you get to the end go back and re-read it from beginning to end for corrections and to patch up any holes in the plot. Just edit and edit and polish.

When you’re done give yourself a pat on the back and start to think about your next moves. A sequel, another story…….there is, as I said at the beginning, no end. Just change, that’s all, that’s writing, that’s life.

......and this is not the end!