Last night, for the first two hours after taking a pain killer, I dipped in and out of half-sleep, woken by the same imperative repeated over and over—don’t forget two threads of the story, the two characters in a boat, the other two on the mountain, remember how the threads pull together.
Two hours of this anxiety that I might forget the vital elements of the plot of the story plagued me before I woke completely, the pain too bad to sleep and the anxiety still there.
on the water
a boat with swan’s wings
dream-journey
But what is the story? Not one that I am writing. Who are the two people in the boat? What is their relationship with the two climbing the mountain? I wish I knew. Perhaps it is a story waiting to be written, the voice urging me to remember, the voice of what we call the Muse.
And what if I were to write the two wandering threads?
snow
wreathes the mountain
swan’s wings
Jane Dougherty Writes 
It’s almost as if your muse has started her work even before us, and connected us with a thread of comments. I love parallel stories which converges near the end. Maybe if our flash fiction did strike a chord, we can develop it? but for now, I am excited to just think and write something.
It’s an idea, and that’s enough to spark something. This will be fun 🙂
Reblogged this on One Great Fantasy and commented:
How magical!
Thank you for reblogging, and thanks for taking up the challenge!
It’s my pleasure!
It was a great idea!
I like to think that these little things I do makes me a better writer in ways that I don’t realize, and even if it doesn’t, the joy of plucking a story out of imagination itself is satisfying enough.
You have to keep writing to get better at it. All the time, and read it over, correct, check word choice, syntax, everything. It is satisfying to know that you’ve written something worth reading.
It is. That’s all I need. Sometimes, I want people to acknowledge that and it feels good when they do. But I just want to feel confident that I can write good stories, and good books.
I suppose you get there when you read something you admire and think, I can write as well as that.
Yes, that’s a good way to check.
I’m sorry you’re in such pain, but your mind seems to be onto something wonderful. That boat with swans’ wings sounds magical and beautiful.
I wish I could remember the play I was writing in my dreams one night. 😉
I hate being in pain, but who actually likes it? I don’t even know what I did this time.
Jay suggested we write something in collaboration which was weird in the light of this story, so we have done. I’m glad.
I wonder what your play was about? It might resurface one day.
Well, then something came of it.
I often write lines of poetry when I’m in a half-sleep stage or dreaming, which I never really remember, but a play was strange. It seemed brilliant in my dream, of course. 😉
I’ve never dreamed a play before. Poetry often, but this idea that I had to keep in mind two subplots of a story I’m not writing is weird!
Well, maybe you were meant to do that collaboration. 🙂
It was very odd that he should have suggested it.
Do you keep a notebook by the bed? If I get an idea intruding on my sleep I try and jot it down (if I’m awake enough) and use it for free writing in the morning, often with surprising results.
I once met a well-known and successful writer who told me that the stories are there in my subconscious but sometimes the conscious mind has to catch up.
I sleep so badly I’d never put on a light to note something down. I’d never get back to sleep after that, especially as I’d wake up husband…
They say writers in pain write beautiful stories! Wishing you good health Jane.
Thank you, Balroop 🙂 If only I had stronger back muscles I’d be superwoman 🙂
I have bought a special recliner for my hubby, to give support to his back muscles. I know what a pain back is.
I need to build some before I can support them 🙂
You’re aren’t Superwoman? I don’t know, I think maybe you are. If it doesn’t drive the writer mad, I suppose threads are good. Certainly nothing wrong with their escaping, meandering (or running full force) in their own ways. They can converge or not, I imagine. Your use of wings in the two threads is a creative treat in both places.
I’m glad you see something creative in my meanderings. Pulling/straining/tearing muscles in my back is something I do far too often. I don’t like taking any medication because it usually makes me ill, but the pain drives me mad, especially when I’m trying to go to sleep. Exercise, weights is the solution maybe but doing exercises is so boring!
There’s always a story waiting to be written.
Love what you did here.
Cheers. There is, and if I think about it long enough, I might find the central story of this one.
I’ll be waiting.
🙂
Sounds like a gift for you to claim:))
Pat
I’m glad something good came out of it 🙂
There is definitely a story there waiting to be told 💜
I thought so too 🙂
Sorry I pressed the send button before I had finished. I do hope you are in less pain tonight 💜
Thanks Willow 🙂 I took a knock-out pill last night. Sunday night was just too awful. Slept like a zombie 🙂
I am glad to hear that nothing worse than lack of sleep 💜🌈
The only thing worse than not being able to sleep is because you’re in constant pain. Makes me feel desperate!
I can empathize, I hope you are better soon or at least on track 💜
I know about you, your pain and your painkillers. It’s an awful choice to have to make. I’m not taking anything tonight (except a glass of wine) and hope last night’s pill still has a lingering effect.
I really hope they do because pain is so debilitating. Fingers crossed the wine helps 💜💜💜
The wine relaxes, and as so much of the pain of a wrenched muscle is because it’s contracted, a good dose of relaxant can’t be bad 🙂
No it can’t be can it, I find a glass of red wine always helps💜