The Best Time

So, I've been working on the plot for my next book. I had (so I thought) the characters ready in my head, and a good idea for the setting. Now, all I needed was the reason these two people would cross paths in the first place, and what would keep them apart. I kept rubbing the sticks together, but I couldn't get any sparks to fly.

On Friday, it came.

I got it.

Pondering my plot while driving, I tried changing the hero's occupation - and, bang. There it was: The key to the hero, his relationship to the heroine, and best of all, the key to the conflict. And I think it's a good one.

This is the best time of the entire writing process: Before one word is down, and the entire story is a wonderful possibility in your head. You just know it's good - you can already hear the amazed gasps of future readers as they read. You can hear the thump as the agents and editors drop everything to read your incredible pages. You're a genius, the greatest writer who has ever lived.

Needless to say, this is because you haven't yet had a chance to actually write the thing and screw it up.

That comes later, and I won't worry about that. For now, I'll just enjoy the fact that I have something really good planned, and forget the hard part. It's like those first few weeks of a new relationship, when it's all about possibility, and the boringness, irritibility, and disillusioning flaws have yet to surface. Yeah, it's kind of like a romance, actually.

So, right now, I'm in love. And tomorrow, I'll pick up my pen and start the relationship.