The Seed of a Story

Every writer will have their own story as to how their novel, or short story, evolved—what was the seed that started it all. In 1995 I read an intriguing article in the Vancouver Sun, titled “Lumber firm wails the blues over “singing forest”. Apparently a local tree planter had a spiritual experience in a forest near Tenise Creek; she says, “something akin to the voice of angels rose from the landscape.” I tucked the intriguing article away and some years later, was sorting through my tattered old file full of various newspaper and magazine articles, the “Story Ideas File”, and read the “singing forest” article again. I began to type and wrote, ““The Elanraigh forest quivered with deep unease. Forest-mind sifted the westerly wind and breathed its warning.” And so a sentient forest came to be a major character in my YA fantasy, Elanraigh (Eternal Press, Feb/12) And what about dreams; you wake and some image from your dream clings as ephemeral as a wisp of fog, and quickly, before it’s dispelled in the light of day, you write the words, or draw the item, saving the image for what it might creatively conjure on the page. Or you have a favourite period of history and want to explore some unusual character’s perception of those events. What if....