Could I come up with a cornier title? Yeah. Probably.
This past November the Light My Fire anthology was released in ebook and paperback. It’s full of stories that happen around a bonfire. When I saw the call for this project, I was immediately drawn to it, with an idea for one of my Words Fail Me characters. Except…
The story had to be a romance and my idea was not. Naturally, I figured that out after I had been accepted into the volume. Whoops.
I went back to the drawing block. A few years ago I had written a flash fiction from a writing prompt, and I really loved the character. He was a man who’d found the love of his life, and he was really into details. There was just one problem. I had no idea who the love of his life was.
I had some ideas, but for the most part, this woman was hiding from me. That wasn’t too much of an issue for the flash fiction. I knew the things he loved about her, the piece was cute. But I didn’t know her name, what she did for a living, or even what she looked like. I put the story aside. It was just a writing exercise, after all. Something to warm me up for the bigger work I had on my plate.
Zeke didn’t mind. He’s a patient man. He’s someone who fixates. Once he’s found his target, he lines everything up to make his goal. He would nudge me once in a while. Maybe she’s a cook. An artist? A teacher. Okay, yes. A teacher. What does she teach? Uhhh…
The original story came to me in October of 2016. Zeke poked and prodded me until 2023. I told you he was patient. Every time I had an idea for something, or a project came my way, I wondered if it was his. And when I had to rethink my bonfire story, guess who stood up.
As it turns out, a few months prior I had gone to my mini’s end-of-year chorus concert. Even though I had been in my middle school’s chorus, it had never occurred to me that a group of hyperactive, puberty-stricken children could sound so good. This particular concert featured the choruses from every grade in our area. From fourth grade through high school seniors. The 6th grade chorus sounded almost as good as the senior chorus. They blew me away.
Entranced as I was, I paid attention after the concert. As the kids were dismissed, the sixth grade students hung back, each waiting their turn to say good-bye to their director for the summer. Even from a distance I could tell this woman was cool, she was funny, she was beloved. And she was Zeke’s.
Finally, I was able to take my cute flash fiction and turn it into a legitimate short story. One that I absolutely love. Sometimes, patience really comes through.
