posted
Have any of you had a story idea that grew to be bigger than you felt you could handle? I don't mean size, I mean content. The "I'm not worthy" mentality?
If so: how do you overcome that? How do you know when you are ready? Do you *ever* feel ready?
The best writing about the really "big" topics comes out of the author's (and main characters') acknowledgement that the implications are beyond them, that there are some things in life (and art) that are "just to important" to be boiled down into anything.
Allow yourself to wonder, to express awe, but don't let it distract you from what your characters have to do in the "here and now" of the story. After all, how do you deal with things that are "just too big" in your own life? You just do, that's all.
posted
You must have something to say about the topic if it’s interesting you. Maybe you just haven’t thought all those lines of opinion out far enough to feel confident with them?
I don’t know if you ever feel ready. I’m mulling an idea that a bit more than I think I can handle right now, but the more confidence I get from working on other things, and the more I think about it, pieces are starting to fall into place. So at least once I get around to working on it, I’ll be more ready than I am right now.
posted
I had the same problem at one time. I had a story that combined, Biblical allegory, fantasy, sci-fi, apocalyptic future, a utopian future that was just getting off the ground, and even references to the days that America was colonies. IT was too much. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it ---it was just to epic and too grand of scope. I had a few notes here and there and I never really intended to get back to it, but it bothered me because there were elements I liked. I was reading the section of Hatrack were OSC answers questions and he said try to incorporate you different ideas into your current story. I did that with my current undertaking and it worked swimmingly. Hey, call me a pu$$y, but it worked for me. Not that I’m suggesting you give up, but try not to think in such a grand scope.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
