As I sit here in front of this blank document slowly transforming into a story, a blog, a poem, a confession, I begin with a thought, an idea that might bare fruit or bear the weight of the world.
I sit here thinking of challenges, of character development, of themes that need explored and wonder how many others have been here before. Do they also hate the concept of a blank page staring back at them?
I sit here and contemplate plot, actions, hyperbole, and see what new philosophy might germinate from this narrative.
I’m a pantser who writes and writes until a story suddenly appears with a hero and a villain, along with their sidekicks and unknowing victims thrown into implausible situations they must try to get out of.
Eventually the story arcs into something more tangible and a reality sets in and the hero gets discouraged or defeated by the villain.
Finally the hero discovers an inner truth about himself, about life in general that was passed down to him from a wise man: his father or mother or her grandmother. The hero prevails and the villain is vanquished.
As I sit here, I am finished writing Barracuda: Final Chapter of Tequila Sunrise. I am satisfied for now. It is a bittersweet moment that I savor since now its in the hands of my editor and beta reader.
Jerry Schellhammer 