I started working on a new novel three weeks ago. I had a situation, a character name, one rough scene of dialogue, and not much else. That was my starting point. I didn’t really know where I was going with it, but I sat down and typed away anyway.

I wrote a prologue and then got stalled. I wasn’t sure how to connect my story idea to what I had written. Truthfully, it was the second prologue I had written for this story. The last one, I wrote way back in the summer. It just didn’t seem to work for me for some reason. I was afraid that I was going to get stalled again.

But as I talked to a friend about my idea, he gave me exactly what I needed to move on.
He said that I should start the next part of the story with, “I can’t believe that it’s been five years…” I ran to my pen and scribbled that idea down. It was perfect. I was back on track. That was January 7th.

Well, last night, I just incorporated my initial rough scene of dialogue into Chapter 3. I can’t believe it, but the story has come quite a way. It’s actually been a surprise how it has all unfolded.

It’s amazing what you can do with just the seed of an idea. I can say this because I now have over 12,000 words written. I am aiming for 80,000 – 100,000 words so I am only just getting started.

I like the fact that you can write without knowing where you are going. It’s like going out on a hike around town. Who knows where you might end up? It’s just nice to go out for a stroll and explore the environment.