I’ve been pondering what the driving force behind my next story will be for quite some time. I’ve had a few ideas, but nothing that really stood out as all that good. It’s been enough to get me started, but they’ve not been right – good, but not good enough.

Earlier today, after I finished tinkering with the new chapter for Emma’s Story, I did a few lines on the characterization of the main character for the next story (his name’s Carl-Micah, but it’s kind of stupid so I might change it). My theory is that by writing unplanned flash-fiction I’m spending time with the character and I get to know them better. It helps developing their back story and it gives me a better idea of what motivates them.

In this case, it also gave me the idea that will drive this story towards its conclusion. Stuff needs to happen, and they need to happen for a reason. I really only did a handful of lines on the flash-fiction, but those lines got my mind working, and now I know what the story will really be about.

It feels awesome.