Friday, February 5, 2010

Of writing.

A couple of nights ago, I suddenly had a scene pop into my head. It had nothing to do with any story I'd been writing, or any book or movie that I'd recently read or watched...I've no idea where it came from! Does that ever happen to you? It happens to me rather often, and then I have to run and find something to write it on so I won't forget it. I have quite a few scenes like that floating around the house and in my purse, and it's so exciting to wonder when I'll get to "meet" the characters I wrote about!

So here's the scene I wrote. It's still a little rough, but that's to be expected!

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As she walked away from him, her eyes blinded by tears, she tried to imagine turning around and going back to him. He would put his arms around her, they would tell each other how sorry they were, all would be as it had been before and happiness would once again fill her heart. She knew that all this could be hers if she would slow her hurried steps and turn around. She tried. She really did.

Slow down; turn around. Her efforts were futile, though, and it felt as though her feet were possessed by some mad demon. A ragged sob tore at her as she continued walking.

But suddenly, she realized that if she didn't go back now, things would really never be the same. A barrier would have risen between them - an invisible one, but a barrier nonetheless, and who knew what damage it could cause in later years?

Could she destroy her own happiness like this, in one fell swipe of heartless pride?

Could she destroy his?

She drew a deep, shaky breath; she closed her eyes. She stopped. Drawing up all of her strength, she turned around and looked back. He was standing just as she had left him, mournful and dejected. But she saw a glimmer of hope creep into his face, saw him take a step forward...

And she was running, running, and feeling as though she would never reach him fast enough. The spell had broken: all would be right. She knew she would never regret it.
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Mysterious...I wonder who they are? :)

I think it's interesting to watch my writing progress. I've been working on re-writing my story "No Greater Love", which hasn't been re-worked since I was about 13. I'm now seeing that for it to be a really good and realistic story, it's going to require some more conflict...she needs to have some more doubts...it needs to have a more satisfying climax. But one thing that I think will be pretty cool is that I'm going to leave the parts about her at the ages of 12 or 13 how I wrote them when I was that age (aside from correcting grammar, etc.), but expand the parts when she's older, now that I know what it's like.

I like taking years and years to write a book, I've decided. :)

I should have a pretty interesting post (hopefully) tomorrow...about friendship and marriage and vocation and love and growing up. I went and talked to Fr. F. today and we had a wonderful conversation, so I thought I'd share a couple of the things he said and the things I've been realizing lately. I'd write it tonight, but it's getting late.

So, au revoir until then, mes amis! Pst...it is "mes amis" in the plural, isn't it? ;)

4 comments:

Rose Marchen said...

Oh wow! I LOVE that little random scene! It is so beautiful and sweet.

Ivy said...

Thanks so much, Rose! And now I can't wait to write the story that it will fit into!

Jessica Greyson said...

Very sweet scene. Powerful too.

Ahh yes and I love and dislike it I get swooped up into the moment then left in suspense waiting for the character and story to come along. Right now I have a very insist character who is writing the story almost faster then I can keep up. It is a fun mystery to see where she will take me.

Ivy said...

Thank you so much! :)

Yes, I remember the first time I wrote a story and it seemed as though it were writing itself! The characters really took on a life of their own and I felt that I was simply their chronicler. Writing is amazing. :)