“There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.”
Celia Thaxter
I’m a little bushed today, because I had a very exciting evening last night. I didn’t go to the theater or to see a film or to a friend’s house. No, actually, the exciting evening I had was spent in my head. Here’s what happened: I was lying in bed trying to sleep when suddenly, I got not one — but two — terrific ideas for my YA novel. I can’t say why, but they just popped into my head.
Suddenly, I started seeing these two scenes unfolding. Both of them solved plot problems that have cropped up recently. I started hearing dialogue in my head and just began going over and over the words to imprint them on my brain, so I wouldn’t forget them.
Usually, when this happens, I run and get a piece of paper and jot everything down, but this time around, I just felt very sure that I’d remember it all. So I just started playing with the scenes and the words, having fun with them: adding, deleting, tinkering.
It was such a delicious feeling! I was almost laughing to myself as I replayed one moment: it added a lighthearted touch to a big event in my story and it just felt so right. I could almost hear one character given center stage whispering in my ear, “At last, you’ve figured out what I should be doing! I’ve known all along and I’ve been waiting for you to get it right. See how much better this scene is now that you’ve given me the part I deserve? Aren’t you glad you brought me here? And aren’t we two clever?”
It was all so much fun and so exciting that I couldn’t sleep! Today, putting all of these floating words on paper, I’ve realized that my nocturnal author adventure was a little gift from the universe. I’ve been working very hard and steadily on my book and I think the muses decided to give me a treat — a mental chocolate bar. And scrumptious it was! Has one of these wonderful moments ever happened to you? I’d love to hear about it. Write on!