Three Stories

“Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby”

Sometimes music really speaks to me and right now this is the song that I am singing.

I am writing a book. It is under the guise of Nanowrimo but it is really a book. As of this morning (Wednesday November 9, 2011- also known as my half birthday) I have completed more than 10,000 words and probably have about 40,000 additional words that I could drop in right now.

That would put me over the top of the 50,000 words that the fine folks at Nanowrimo want out of us but that is ok. Ask my friend Stephen King and he’ll tell you it is better to have more words than less. While sometimes it may be true that less is more when you are working on your first draft less is more is more likely to create headaches than to solve problems.

“Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby”

Writing feels to me a bit like a dream. I am not bound by the rules of science or confined by things that might otherwise restrict my movements. When the words flow freely it is a magical moment. This book that I am writing now is a sort of amalgamation of a variety of things. At the moment there are approximately three different story lines- all of them connected but capable of standing alone.

“Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby”

I think that part of it is based upon the main character’s journey to find a place where he “rediscovers” peace of mind.  There was a time when life made sense to him and he understood what he wanted to do and what he was trying to do but he lost that somewhere.

Is this the kind of journey that proves that heroes are made and not born? I don’t know yet but I expect that we will find out. What I know is that at this moment struggle is the critical element. The struggle to find that place is part of what defines him as a person but not the sole thing.

“Boy, you’re gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you’re gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time”

My struggle and my task lies in trying to find a way to integrate these stories into a tapestry of sights and sounds that you can see. If I do a proper job of painting that picture, well who knows what can happen. Should be fun trying to figure it out.

“Oh yeah, all right
Are you gonna be in my dreams tonight

Love you, love you
love you, love you…

And in the end, the love you take
is equal to the love you make
Ah”