This week I've tried without success to get back into the story KILL ME OR DRIVE ME TO FL. First I read over parts of the story. I climbed into the car with this group going to Florida and it was stifling. Nobody would say or do anything. Nobody moved. Not even mouthy Daisy. I was ready to chalk it up to another failed story attempt. Then I started thinking. First I took myself outside the car, outside the box I'd written these people into. I woke up thinking about the characters one day. I still didn't have anything to write. That night I went to sleep thinking about the story. The next morning it hit me. These four characters had lives before they got into that car and that's where I had to start. At that moment ideas started jumping out at me. And with that I was/am back on track. I keep having to re learn everything I've learned about writing in the 20+ years I've been at it. Sometimes I think I'm not meant to write a novel length story. ...
"All the characters who have housed my stories now have permanent apartments in my head - I still have tea with them." bw