When a Brainstorm Strikes You

I had a terrific idea last week for a third novel in my series about Louise and her family. I was reading this book on the history of St. Louis, which is where the second novel ends. Suddenly all these ideas for plots and characters came cascading into my head. I spent two frantic days scribbling notes. Within that short time, I had a complete story in my head: beginning, middle and end. Perfect.

Except not so perfect. A lot of my screenplays started that way, with a burst of inspiration and a few days of perspiration. That may be fine for a screenplay, which doesn’t always require a lot of deep though about the setting, the story and the characters. Novels are different, as I’ve learned, sometimes to my regret.

So now I have to go through all my notes with a ruthless objectivity. Is there enough material here for a novel that is both fast-moving and substantial? Will my characters be compelling and endearing to readers? Perhaps most important, is the story that I’ve outlined in two frantic days of scribbling strong enough for me to commit at least a year of my life to writing in the form of a novel?

These are not questions I used to ask myself. Not in the old days before I knew anything. Now I ask them.