You don’t so much write a story, as catch one… and catching a story is like a game of cat and mouse through the imagination.

·        The imagination dreams up an idea.

·        But other thoughts get in the way, pushing the idea out into the far edges of the mind.

·        The idea starts to grow; it expands and fragments, refusing to arrange itself into a story.

·        It starts to populate itself with characters, who in turn find their voices.

·        Little bursts of dialogue pop up.

·        The conscience mind hears the dialogue and stops, turning full attention to the new idea.

·        The computer is switched on, the blank screen awaits.

·        The characters run for cover, whispering between themselves… just too quietly to hear.

So what next..? Stamp around the imagination demanding that a story shows itself?

Or wait a while, listening, letting the imagination play a while longer…