By Mark W. Danielson
It was a hot summer night and sleep eluded me. To be truthful, I had gone without blissful sleep for weeks. In my job, getting five solid hours is a blessing, but since I had been home a while, my unrest was inexcusable. After flipping non-stop like a fish out of water, I rolled out of bed to toil on mycomputer. An hour later and utterly exhausted, I lumbered to the basement bedroom so I wouldn’t disturb anyone. Lying on my back, my dog at my feet, I once again stared into the darkness with eyes wide open.
Busy minds keep bodies awake, and in my case, it was like I consumed sixteen Mountain Dews. Silently counting backwards from one hundred normally drains my brain, but tonight, it merely challenged me to reach zero. I then went through my stress exercises of tightening and relaxing every muscle, but my mind fought back with a vengeance. Then suddenly, miraculously, a new plot came to me about a man so drunk on sleep that he communicates with a spirit. Ah, the perfect sequel to Writer’s Block! At the time, I knew nothing about the real haunting at Fort Worth’s Scott Theater. I learned about that the next day while conducting research, but since my protagonist is a Fort Worth homicide detective, the Scott Theater haunting nicely fits into my story.
Smiling now, I settled into the pillow and closed my eyes, letting my mind drift with the plot. The sequel that I had already begun could wait, for this new story must go forth. After all, who knows sleep deprivation better than an international airline pilot?
Fate has crept into my life in many ways, and I have no better way of explaining this revelation. It wasn’t the first time I received subliminal messages, but I never recalled any being as vivid. So now the fun begins, banging on keys while my subconscious writes this story. I love this stage because nothing has to be perfect. While I have definite ideas on where the story will go, I look forward to my characters taking me there. Months will pass before this story sees its first edit, but that’s not a problem since Writer’s Block won’t be released until this fall. In this regard, perhaps there is some value in sleepless nights. Then again, it would be nice waking up feeling refreshed.
6 comments:
I think it's remarkable that you remembered the idea when you woke up. I was sure that's where your posting was heading because it's happened to me so often - conceiving plots so intricate and so perfect that the book seems already written, then falling (smugly) asleep only to have no recollection of any of it when I get up.
I agree, Bill. There have been times when I have written ideas down and then gone back to sleep, but this one was, and still is quite clear. Call it fate . . .
I share Bill's problem, or even worse, I'll think of something in bed and simply be too lazy to get up and write it down. As nerdy as it sounds, I've often thought of carrying a little notebook in my pocket for ideas that come to me during the day. So often I'll think of something as I'm going about my activities of daily living, but have nothing to write with, and then my cell phone will ring, and just like that the idea, sentence is gone.
Shane, I wish I could tell you how many notes I've written on napkins and receipts to retain an idea. One sentence is all I need to get back on track. In your case, don't answer your phone until you've jotted it down. (I know, easier said than done:)
From a fellow insomniac: I get my best plot ideas in the middle of the night and, flashlight in hand, go to my computer to record them. Sometimes I can't find the file the following morning, but I do eventually. :)
I can relate to that, Jean. Computers can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I can't even begin to describe my frustrations with Word 10. I'll import a document, save it, it shows it saved, then the computer has no iea where it is. It proves my computer has a sick sense of humor. How about this for a murder mystery? Death By Computer -- Revenge of the Trons!
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