Scent of Creativity

So, I was working on my book this past week (yay!) and something interesting happened. Let me back up: I’m still deep in the middle of revising my book, getting everything aligned with the most recent vision of the stories events, and trying to make sure that I don’t have references to past (edited out) or future (abandoned ideas) plot lines – as well as generally fixing the issue with having a lack of sub-plots.

Now, when you’re revising, most writers drudge through it because they have to. In revising, especially the later stages of it, you’ve read your own book a thousand times. If you’re at all humble, you’re sick of it. You’re not creating, because it’s all been created; now you’re just fixing.

Unless, like me, you can’t stand not creating. I heard a story once about the actor Christopher Lee changing his delivery in each take, to give the director clear differences to choose between each take. I like to think of my book running that way: each draft, I try something a little bit different – take the plot this direction instead of that; make this character want this thing instead of the other.

Now, that’s not entirely true. Well, it is; but I’m not recommending it. But it is fun to imagine ways in which it could go differently, just to help keep the creative juices flowing until I can start the next book. What was a lot of fun, except for how long it kept me from actually moving forward with my book, was outlining an entirely different set of events for the current book – and it actually worked! I was able to change the theme (a little) how the characters met and traveled together (a little more) and their entire movements across the continent (a lot).

So, while I was working on my book this past week, I realized that Haydren focused a bit on Geoffrey’s unique appearance, which was similar to Haydren’s unique appearance. Then I remembered that, somewhere in the dungeons of notes I have for this book, I had written down that Haydren’s adoptive parents both came from the same village as Geoffrey – and that Geoffrey was certainly old enough to be Haydren’s father. Hmmm…

So, should I have Haydren wonder if maybe only his adoptive father had adopted him? That maybe his mother actually was his mother? And Geoffrey was his father?

That could be fun. But, for the purpose of the whole series, it would have to be a red herring, and it’s probably not worth spending much time on something like that, but that ends up going nowhere.

Still, it was a fun bit of creativity. Just to know I still have it. And it only took a few minutes of musings away from actually writing, which I’m sure I’ll make up with the shot of rejuvenation it gave me.

Onward.