On Writing Fiction

 photo by ewen and donabel

It occurs to me, as I sit here staring at the blank page, that I have almost an unlimited number of things to write about.

If they are real.

I have pages full of starters and themes.  An arsenal of ideas, if you will.  My possibilities stretch across me like the horizon.  Cute phrases in my pocket, ready to pull out at a moments notice.

If they support non-fiction.

I can write essays about my life, my thoughts, the lives of others.  I can go on and on about issues I am connected to.

Even poetry forms in my brain.

But fiction scares me.  Trying to create something from nothing is almost as terrifying to me as, well, I can't think of a proper comparison.  But trust me.  It's frightening.

But I want to do it.  I want to look at a clean page and craft a character.  Then another.  I want to get to know them.  I want to watch them walk through life, making mistakes, eating and sleeping, visiting friends, resolving conflict.  I want them to pull me into their lives, weaving their story to a perfect climax.

So we have established I can write about writing fiction.  I can in a non-fiction way, form an essay about writing fiction.  I know the fiction "formula".  But I haven't met my first character yet.  I haven't found him/her.  We haven't been introduced yet.

Just know I am searching.