Chapter 3: New Ideas & Challenges
The last week has been a relatively quiet one from a writing perspective. I've been in a bit of a holding pattern, waiting on some clarifying questions from my editor regarding her feedback. I’m reluctant to dive back into writing until I have those answers. Thankfully, she’s now come back to me, and I’m ready to get back to work knowing what I need to do.
But here’s the twist: in the midst of all this waiting, something completely unexpected happened. I came up with a whole new idea.
This NEVER happens. For almost fourteen years, I’ve stuck resolutely to my original story idea. Sure, I’ve had small deviations, new characters, or subplots, but never a fully-formed new idea. It’s been just me and my original concept, like an unbreakable bond. But now? Out of nowhere, in the middle of a shower, no less, a new idea hit me like a bolt of lightning.
And I’m obsessed. A new character. A new journey. My character blows my original character out of the park. I understand her motives so much more and I feel she is someone who is relatable. Her story is still set in the same world as my current project, which makes it feel connected, but it’s a completely fresh perspective.
I’m equal parts excited and overwhelmed. On one hand, I’m thrilled to feel this rush of creativity, it’s like a gift from my own imagination. On the other, I don’t want to lose focus on my main story, especially when I’m so close to diving back in after my editor’s feedback.
For now, I’m jotting down everything I can about this new idea so I don’t lose it. It’s too good to ignore, and who knows? Maybe it’s meant to complement my current work in ways I can’t yet see. It’s funny how inspiration works. Sometimes you chase it for days, and other times it finds you when you’re not even looking, like in the middle of a shampoo commercial break.
On another note, I have announced the Book of Steele monthly Writing Challenge. This is something I used to do as a Twitch Creator in my discord. We would have weekly art challenges, writing challenges and more. I really enjoyed hosting them and coming up with new ideas. It was also a massive help when I was having writers block. Just writing something different for even an hour helped unleash some new creativity.
If you hadn’t already seen the writing challenge and are intrigued or would consider giving it a go, head to the Writing Challenge page and have a gander!