Ever have a story hit you unexpectedly?

ZannaPerry · Nov 27, 2007

I don't mean physically. But have you ever had a story, just come out of nowhere in your imagination, and take over everything?? This happened to me last week as I was working on my current story. I had an unexpected fresh, new idea for a completely other story and my muse would rather feast on that instead of the one I've been working on for a while.

Has this happened to you?

Sean D. Schaffer · Nov 27, 2007

SuzyB said:
I don't mean physically. But have you ever had a story, just come out of nowhere in your imagination, and take over everything?? This happened to me last week as I was working on my current story. I had an unexpected fresh, new idea for a completely other story and my muse would rather feast on that instead of the one I've been working on for a while.

Has this happened to you?

Oh, yeah! The book I'm working on right now is such a project. When I joined the NaNoWriMo competition, I remembered a title I had made long ago, and originally planned on getting out some ancient outlines. But then a new version of the story just hit my mind, and off I went in a totally different direction.

That story, entitled The Dragon Princess (working title; I'm thinking about changing it for Draft 2), has completely overwhelmed my senses and I can't stop writing it. I've been telling myself for days that I have another ms waiting on the back burner, but for the life of me, I cannot stop writing this piece even to look at my short.

So yes, this has happened to me. The project I'm presently working on is an example of the very scenario you put forth.

Salem · Nov 27, 2007

That's how I write all of my stories. They just come out of nowhere and I write them down. I always wonder where they come from because I don't make a conscious effort to create stories, it just happens.

Stargazer · Nov 27, 2007

To be honest... I don't think I've ever just been t-boned by a story.

I normally wait for something to inspire me. Sometimes it can be something as simple as a six word musing from someone sitting three desks away from me in the office that sets me on my way.

The closest I ever got was with one of my stories that forms part 1 of a book length project. I saw an insurance claim come into the office where one guy had 3 claims on the same car for the same day with the last one being a total loss.

Everything after that was dead easy and the words just flowed out from me. But I still needed that first little shot of inspiration.

Stew21 · Nov 27, 2007

the novel I just finished up was started at 3 AM some random insomnia morning. I woke up and started typing. three drafts later - tada! - finished MS.

Carmy · Nov 27, 2007

It happens all the time.

Usually, the last scene of a story comes through with such clarity that I write it down. Then the MC "tells" me how she reached that point. When I've written the story, that last scene needs few changes.

ZannaPerry · Nov 27, 2007

It was weird though because I think I was reading a book as this new story popped into my head, and it had nothing to do with what I was reading.

heyjude · Nov 27, 2007

The other day hubby asked my uncle an innocent question (something along the lines of "So who wants you dead today?") and by that afternoon I had a thousand words of the next ms, using the casual question as a first line.

My uncle will not fare well in this one.

But yes, you never know what will set you off!

a_sharp · Nov 27, 2007

You mean there's another way?

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 27, 2007

My imagination is a big scary place filled with monsters and wizards and spaceships and all sorts of wild and wondrous things.

So I wouldn't say my stories come out of nowhere. They come from that fertile field.

But yes, they do come unannounced and unexpectedly. Just like in-laws coming to visit.

JimmyB27 · Nov 27, 2007

Only all the time.

Jack Nog · Nov 27, 2007

JimmyB27 said:
Only all the time.

Ditto.

My wife was telling a story during Thanksgiving about how her kids (she's a teacher, so...students) think she is psychic. Basically, she could tell who was talking at one point without turning around and some other little things.

Well, my mind went into story mode and I excused myself from our company and went upstairs to turn on my laptop. I dropped a 1500 word detailed outline for a horror story that I didn't want to lose. Normally, this amount of output takes me about an hour or more for my WIP. This took about 25 minutes and I was back downstairs enjoying desert and wine.

I LOVE it when this type of thing happens.

Conman · Nov 27, 2007

A couple of weeks ago a couple of friends and I were having ice cream. One of the ice cream cartons had some freezerburn, and my friend's little brother thought it was poison or something, I don't know. So I started joking around about how the ice cream might kill my friend, and he said, "If I died, I would totally come back as a ghost with these awesome powers, and you would be jealous." About four seconds later I had a fully formed story in my head.

jennifer75 · Nov 27, 2007

SuzyB said:
I don't mean physically. But have you ever had a story, just come out of nowhere in your imagination, and take over everything?? This happened to me last week as I was working on my current story. I had an unexpected fresh, new idea for a completely other story and my muse would rather feast on that instead of the one I've been working on for a while.

Has this happened to you?

Well, sort of. I'm writing a story now about a young woman and her relationship with one particular guy.... well I thought I'd write the same story from his POV - should be interesting. But yea, the idea just came to me one day, out of nowhere.

Sassee · Nov 27, 2007

I always get t-boned by characters, not the stories themselves. Though they're usually pretty open about their stories once they've appologized for knocking me on my arse.

I had a weird one happen during the summer, though. Had a character do a hit and run. She appeared out of thin air all silent and kickass-like and was all "where's my story?" No hints, no insights, no nothing. All I got out of her was her special ability, her appearance, and a rocky past. And a locket. Which I don't know what to do with. She poked me impatiently for a few days and is now lying in wait for a story I have yet to come up with. She's kinda scary.

Tornadoboy · Nov 27, 2007

My current WIP originated from a joke one of my characters played on someone in my first WIP. He drew a cartoon of a co-worker, crossing her with an animal to poke fun at her tempramental nature, making her look like something out of a cheap B-movie sci-fi.

Well now that B-movie character lives, and she is holding me hostage to work on her story while the other remains locked in developement. :Ssh:

KTC · Nov 27, 2007

This is the only way I know how to write.

Stew21 · Nov 27, 2007

me too, Kevin. When NeuroFizz told me to write my next one, I had no idea what was coming out until I started writing. Suddenly Gladys has to fill the big empty...

where'd she come from?

the ether.

I plucked her out.

KTC · Nov 27, 2007

I love that you found Gladys. That's how I found Dubious Pickles too. He just appeared in a five and dime store and then suddenly, BANG...he has these spaces between his walls and all hell starts to break out. I'm loving him and the way I stumbled upon him! Have fun with Gladys tonight!

Varthikes · Nov 28, 2007

Wow. This happened to me last week, too. Sort of.

The concept of the story hit me in that manner. A take on the body-swapping theme that Star Trek, Stargate, and FarScape have all done an episode on. My main Dragon character trades places with my main Human character. I still have to work out the details like HOW this happens, though, and try to make it sufficiently different from previous versions.

burgy61 · Nov 28, 2007

I just write what comes out of my head and the story tells me where it wants to go. Its like they take on a life of their own and I'm just along for the ride. Most of the time the story never goes where I think it should. My current book that I'm editing took a 180 degree turn a thousands words in and never looked back.

JohnDavidPaxton · Nov 28, 2007

Yes. And it's better than sex when, suddenly, the whole of a construct appears fully formed and ready that moment.

heyjude · Nov 28, 2007

JohnDavidPaxton said:
Yes. And it's better than sex when, suddenly, the whole of a construct appears fully formed and ready that moment.

With all due respect, I think you may be doing something wrong.

althrasher · Nov 28, 2007

Yeah.

And it's definetely the darkest, most out of character thing I've ever written.

It's kind of amazing.

maestrowork · Nov 28, 2007

All the time. I have a big list of stories I'd like to write, but I've got to finish this one first.

It's funny, because when I was writing my first novel, I really didn't have any other ideas. That was the only book in my head. After I finished it and was ready to submit, I started to wonder: What's next? I'd lived with that story for about four or five years, and I didn't think I had another book in me, but I guessed wrong. Speaking to my father about his wartime experiences suddenly opened up tons of possibilities and the story just came to me. And now, as I'm writing this WIP, I have another dozen of ideas waiting to be written. I guess that's how I know: Hey, I'm actually a writer now.

Ever have a story hit you unexpectedly?

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