A while back I reported that my stories were writing themselves. I had that experience with Decisive Moment first, and more recently, with the Tracking Jane series. Well, until the last episode took a little pushing. Why? Because not all stories write themselves. In fact, I count my blessings when I have one that does. More than likely, I know my stories will require heavy lifting.

And boy, am I doing that with my current in-work story, Beisbol Libre. It is turning into one of my most challenging projects. Why? I haven’t figured that out yet, especially since given my background, this one should connect more clearly. What to do? Here are some things I’ve tried.

Set it aside, work on something else, come back with fresh eyes

I set aside Beisbol Libre to take on another project. That project turned into a series. Voila! Tracking Jane. In that respect, I’m glad I took a break to work on something else. That something else turned into one of my most rewarding writing experiences to date. But something else happened. In the process of plowing through that side project, I connected some dots in my mind that helped me resolve part of the plot for Beisbol Libre. Still, I looked at the prospect of returning to the task at hand with obligation—I need to get this done!—and trepidation. What to do?

Write the thing: magical things happen at the keyboard

I sat down and wrote. I let my characters go at it in scene after scene, and soon I developed a flow—a faltering one at times, but one that moved forward. Along the way I discovered some things about the story that will require me to go back and revise some passages, maybe add a little here and there to flesh out necessary detail. But it wasn’t easy. I knew the ending, I sketched out what needed to happen to get there, but man, it was still uphill the whole way. In part, the nagging sense that the story has missed something still lingers. But it’s done. The first draft, anyway. And now what?

Let it simmer a bit, and evaluate the thing

I won’t let it sit long, as is my usual practice with first drafts. Going back while it’s still warm feels like the thing to do given how much time I let it sit incomplete. Yet, I need to ask some hard questions. Why is this story giving me fits? The concept and premise feel solid and the characters (I love them, BTW) remain believable, but something is still not gelling for me.

I think it’s the Cuba thing. I grew up there, but I didn’t want to make this story autobiographical. I succeeded in avoiding that, but did I in the process distance myself too much. Is that distance creating a disconnect that I need to close, even if doing so hurts (me) more than I’d like? Tough questions I need to work through. We’ll see where that takes me and the story. Asking them has already yielded one nugget…

It’s not about knowing the ending, but about knowing the story’s core

As I’ve shared in the past, I’m not much of a planner. Usually I freehand my stories and let them flow organically. For Beisbol Libre, however, the very nature of the concept and premise told me the ending and even suggested some of the key events that would happen along the way. Once more I’ve come to realize and relearn that knowing what happens does not necessarily yield coherence. Rather, I must know what this story is about. I must dig deeper to find the story’s core, what keeps everything together and drives it along. Again, I think getting there requires I get personal—painfully so.

So stay tuned to this channel for future news on this and my other stories. It will get there. I have no choice but to finish it.