Voices in the wind

I'm an avid television fan, and I've put in enough couch time to earn my stripes as a sofa spud. But lately I've noticed something wonderful when I turn off the TV: I hear voices. Not the strap-me-in-the-straitjacket kind, but the writerly kind. Voices from different characters I've created in NaNo novels and short stories and voices from stories yet to be written.

When the world is quiet, my imagination tentatively pokes its head out, sees the coast is clear, and says "All right, now that I have your attention here are some lovely plot lines and character dialogue I want you to use. Go ahead, get a pen. Let's begin."

I've even been thinking about unfinished stories from long ago, characters that stayed with me. Manuscripts that still have a chance. Entire worlds that I partially built from sand, but the sea never quite swept away.

These quiet days are a rare luxury, like finding chocolate wrapped around a gold bar. But when they do come around, I pick up the pen. I listen. And I begin.


Photo credit: nuttakit, courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.