POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

When I’m Feeling Stumped

By Nandy Ekle

I’ll admit it. I’ve been stumped for quite a while. I’ve been stuck with hundreds of beginnings to hundreds of good ideas that fizzled about three pages in. I have been at the point of being embarrassed to bring my WIP to the critique meeting because it’s usually a page and half to three pages that actually sound like a bunch of random words strung together. And then the next meeting I bring a different one and half to three pages of a different drivel.

And then I discovered I was out of new stories on my audible books, and being between paydays, I couldn’t get a new one just yet. Time to re-listen to some of my favorites. And a couple of fiction stories that were a lot of fun to hear again. I listened to Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King, and The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin. Both of those are cute, fun, and incredibly brilliant.

So I swiped through my audible library again and my finger stopped on On Writing by Stephen King. Now I’ve probably read that paperback book at least three times, and I liked it enough that I also got the audible version. And I know I’ve listened to the audible more than once. But it’s been a while. So I reloaded it. And I’m so glad I did. As much as I love words, play with words, learn new words, and make up my own words, I’m not sure there’s a word that says exactly how inspiring Mr. King’s book is for me.

And the really fun part is this. I’ve been researching for yet another beginning of another new story. My story is based on an old song that I grew up listening to from my dad’s records. And I’ve had the story completed in my head for a while. However I’ve had to learn a whole new culture just so I can write the starting scene. So I have say that I chose the perfect timing to listen to Mr. King’s On Writing.

I just want everyone out there to hear me. Please read this book. One reading will be enough, but it’s like potato chips. You can never have it just once.

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