I was writing today in a cafe and (everyone who has ever workshopped with me can laugh now) I did a new beginning to my novel. This is something I do (shuffles awkwardly) well, quite often. In fact I am known for multiple first chapters. It’s a talent. Someone’s got to have it. One day I will write a final chapter. Now that will be an exciting day! Anyway, I was writing a dream sequence. Yes, I know. Don’t worry, it won’t get into the novel, I was really just trying something out. But I liked the imagery. The character was walking on the ocean, blind fish beneath his feet and a huge moon hanging impossibly low overhead. It was day, but night as well.
And then I drew this. It happens a lot – I have a theme or an idea and it keeps coming out in different things until I am done with exploring it.
Drawn in my fifth moleskine, on the afternoon and evening of Monday 14 June, 2010. This was not a quick one – but as it was my last present-to-myself day off after the exhibition, I thought I’d just keep going.
5 Comments
Ooh aah that is something special and mystical. A chink of collective consciousness breaking through?
Beautiful, Elise. And, ahem, not all of us roll our eyes at dream sequences you know.
But as a place to start a novel? I worry that it sets up a style that won’t continue… A surrealism that won’t necessarily happen again… I can see the use, in a storytelling sort of way, and I can definitely see the fun of it (so much fun to write), but is that a good way to Start. Hard because this is new territory for me here. It’s probably a terrible novel faux pas
Elise
Ah no – not as a start to a novel ( I missed that bit!) Your reader will feel cheated.
Yeah, thought so!