work in progress

Watching the Oscars last night I wanted to reach into the TV and shake Charlize Theron for reciting the line - no doubt written by someone else, hence my ability to stop myself from crashing into TV land:

"The nominees for best original screenplay sat down at their desks with clear visions of the stories before them."

If that was in fact the case I would be very much surprised!

When I sit down at my desk - okay so that part is probably close to real - I usually have no vision of the road before me, much less a clear one! I start with a title - perhaps, a hero and a heroine - sort of, and a blank page - most definitely.

And from there the possibilities are endless. And that's the fun part of this gig, the knowledge that I have not a clue as to what the first line will be, no idea what is keeping these two people from loving, and no clue as to what deep, connective reasons make them bound to fall in love with one another.

Even when I am 9000 words in, as I am now with a book, I have so little clue as to where the story is going it is thrilling. Okay, so sometimes that fact can be terrifying in equal measure, but the surprises and lightbulb moments that await me over the next couple of months will make up for that. If they didn't I wouldn't keep coming back and back for more!

So as I sit down to my current book, "Sorrento Sunsets" set in the beachside town of
Sorrento, on the cliffs of the Mornington Peninsula which could just as well be the end of the world, with Tom Campbell and Maggie Bryce glowering at one another I am delighted that my vision is anything but clear, the sand before me unmarked by footprints, if you like, for if I knew what was coming next what would be the point of writing the darned thing?

Truly?