FIVE ENCHANTED ROSES AND IDEAS
Okay... so... I lied.
Not to you, dear Reader, because I don't think I said anything one way or another on here...
Mostly just to myself.
Though not on purpose.
I said I was too busy. I said there was no way I could write anything new with two major edits to complete (hopefully before/by summer's end) I said I didn't like this particular fairy tale. I said I had no ideas whatsoever, and probably wouldn't have any... ever. I said I absolutely was not going to have the time or desire to write a story for the Five Enchanted Roses Contest.
But I have had an idea... and I'm currently getting started on writing a tale for the Beauty and the Beast contest.
Of course.
Doggone creative brain just won't stop... I guess that's a good thing. ;)
Reflecting on it, I think my main problem with the Cinderella story is that I really like it. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed writing that story, and I like the result rather a lot (hence the fact that I'm working with a good friend on getting some illustrations done for it, and plan to tweak it, maybe add a scene or two, and go ahead and publish it sometime in the future). But it's not really that different. Which is fine. It doesn't have to be. There was really only one thing I didn't like about the Cinderella story, and that was the "love at first sight, must find the girl of my dreams after dancing with her for an evening" aspect. So, that was about the only thing I changed... which did affect the rest of the story. It was harder to write, though, because I had to ask myself, "What would I change about this story?" and myself answered, "Eh, I'm good."
With Beauty and the Beast... well, I like the story... but there are a LOT of things I don't like about it. Which means that it's pretty easy to come up with things I'd change. Which means that it is going to be a lot easier to write what feels like an original twist... and not just a retelling. Of course, the main problem this time around is going to be making sure it still has enough of the elements of the classic story that it is actually recognizable as Beauty and the Beast....
Interesting, isn't it? Same basic concept, two different stories, and two totally different experiences, with different problematic aspects and different "easier" aspects.
Don't worry, I promise not to neglect my editing. In fact, my rule is that I have to edit 10 pages a day before I'm allowed to write anything new. Which is working out well, so far.
However, writing something new is also good for keeping my brain's creative juices flowing. If all I do is edit all year, I am afraid that getting back into drafting will be extremely difficult. I've seen it happen to me before. This will keep my brain engaged, but it's a nice, short project... with a nice, solid deadline.
What was the idea? Well, I'm keeping that one a secret for now. But I will let you know a bit more as I get closer to completion!
