Story Seeds
Frogs
How is a book born? Before I started writing stories, I believed that ‘real writers’ had full grown stories pop into their minds. But the more I write, the more I know that this isn’t true. Stories start as tiny seeds. My work in progress, Trouble at Pender Pond, started from a small joke. My husband and I walk our dog every evening past a small pond and a creek. I noticed that all the frogs were suddenly silent as we approached the pond and noisy again as soon as we past. I joked that there must be a Watch Frog to warn them of approaching danger and then alert them when the coast was clear. Every time we walked past, I laughed about the Watch Frog doing his job.
Beavers
That little seed idea, coupled with my lifelong fascination with beavers. My kids will attest that I dragged them to every national park beaver walk in existence, at the mosquito infested hour of dusk, to attempt the nearly impossible task of glimpsing a beaver in the distance. Funny. Now I live near an urban stream with resident beavers that I catch sight of several times a month.
Wood Ducks
Add to the frogs and beavers my reaction the first time I saw a duck in a tree. I could not believe my eyes. I got out the bird guide book (before cell phones with bird apps) and discovered Wood Ducks, the amazing ducks that live in trees. Again it is funny, because that urban stream near my house also occasionally hosts Wood Ducks.
Music
On top of frogs, beavers and wood ducks, I am interested in music. I’ve auditioned for and been accepted in several choirs. I’ve also run a children’s choir and occasionally I held auditions for solo parts. I’ve been to music workshops and I’ve met composers. That, too, got added to the seed start of Trouble at Pender Pond.
How could all that tumble together and make one story? The process is amazing. Try it yourself and let me know how your experiments in story creation come out.