Last fall, I read THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT by Kate Dicamillo. Now, while it wasn't my favorite book of hers, I still really enjoyed it. There was something a little bit magical about it. And after I closed the book, I had this longing to write a book that felt magical in a way. I can't describe what I was thinking or feeling. But I grabbed my idea journal and I wrote down these words:
A story in the garden.
Events happen in and around the garden, a beautiful flower garden.
There is a bird.
There is a gypsy.
There is a girl and a boy.
There is a mother.
There is a king.
The bird ties everything together
Since then, I've written many other things in that journal. But always, I came back to that page, and thought, what is the story on this page? I want to find it. Someday.
Recently, when I became frustrated with a novel I had been writing for a few months, I flipped open my idea journal, like I often do, to see what I might find. And again, I paused on that page I had written months and months ago. And suddenly, things started coming to me.
I finished writing the book recently - it's a middle grade novel. Once I started, everything came together in a very magical way and I love, love, LOVE the story I ended up with. Not all of the things listed above ended up in the book. And some things are a tad different from what's listed above. My agent has read it, and she loved it as well. YAY!! I have some minor revisions to do on it before it's ready to go, and I've been swamped with other stuff, so haven't gotten to it yet. But hopefully it will be ready for submission soon.
When I bought the journal on etsy, the girl making it asked me what quote I'd like put on the inside, for inspiration. I chose this one:
~Lisa, Miss Crafting a Career
Yes, I love my idea journal, too! The first page is only titles I've come up with...titles with not stories attached, but maybe someday.....
ReplyDeleteMine is just one of those black and white speckeldy composition books, but I love it dearly.
Your story sounds magical.
Shelley
I love your quote!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you finished writing it already. You rock! :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband once gave me a fancy black velvet journal when I thought I might want to try writing.
ReplyDeleteI have never written a single word in it. It's too nice and pretty.
Instead I scribble my ideas into different leftover notebooks from my kids.
It still works.
I imagine when I actually write something in that black velvet book - it will be magic.