Characters · Plots · WIP Wednesday

WIP Wednesday – The Ghost Stories

paulaacton

I decided today to take a break from the medieval but don’t worry another dungeon tour is imminent, instead I want to talk about ghosts.

We all grew up hearing ghosts stories you would think they would be easy to write but they are not.  First the very fact we all grew up hearing numerous variations on themes makes it incredibly hard to actually come up with original ideas. When I first got the idea to do this story collection it was because I already had a couple of ideas, then others started coming the problem was obviously my muse had the same childhood I did and was retelling me stories I was convinced I had already heard.  Eventually I came up with 15 ideas that I am happy are original enough to continue with that even if not totally original I can put my own voice into enough to make them my own.

I found myself asking several questions as I vetted these ideas..

  1. Who is the ghost?
  2. Why are they a ghost?
  3. What do they want?
  4. Can they have it?
  5. Who sees them?
  6. How do they react?
  7. Is there a resolution?

The last one is most interesting does resolution mean the ghost moves on in very case in my stories it turns out the answer is no.  Sometimes they merely provide a resolution for the breathing characters.

I also wanted a couple of more humourous stories and hopefully when they are done a couple will have people laughing out loud but that will depend on my storytelling abilities, if I could show you them the way I see them in my head I know you would but it is the transference from mind to page that is hardest for me.  Ideas have never been a problem but I get incredibly frustrated at times trying to project the image to paper, to find the words to express my vision, I know I am probably not alone in that but it can feel that way at times.

Like so many others whose posts I read I do not believe in my abilities at times, I feel the desire for others to justify my words and it is a feeling I hate, it makes me feel like a needy child demanding praise, I even wonder if that is part of the reason for doing this, but then I get scared I will hear not praise or even censure but indifference.

I told my parents about being accepted for publication their response was hardly overwhelming especially as it is unpaid, but the comments I received here and from friends both real and online compensated and I feel that possibly strangers know me better than my own parents.  Don’t get me wrong if the novel was published and made money they would be proud of me but they would not read it still (possibly for the best given a few scenes) but to them it’s not real unless you make a living from it, and I wonder if that is why I feel the way I do about my work though in my case it is not the money but the seeing my name in print which is the main concern.  Having someone think I am good enough to print, someone who selects me above other choices, which makes me feel bad then thinking I may be taking the spot of someone more talented more worthy of the recognition.

I know it sounds like I have gone off topic but I haven’t you see these doubts are my real ghosts, the ones that haunt my dreams.  I do not fear the dead but I fear joining them never having silenced the doubts which plague me. And for that is the real essence of the ghost story, why we all love being scared by the imaginary ghouls because ultimately nothing out there can be as scary as the fear of failure.

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Published by paulaacton

Aspiring writer, mum, girlfriend, friend, occasional lunatic. So many things to different people how do you prioritise.

22 thoughts on “WIP Wednesday – The Ghost Stories”

  1. Some scholars say Romeo and Juliet was the retelling of Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe, rewritten as a tale of two young lovers going against the wishes of their parents.

    We all want positive feedback, want to know that others think we’ve done well, hence the almost manic preoccupation with reviews. That’s just “normal” for writers.

    Parents are always worried about the economic well-being of their offspring. Many times they’ve been through some pretty tough financial times, and would like to see their children do better.

    It sounds like you’re organizing things pretty well. Is it Scrivener that’s helping that much with the organization?

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    1. yes the scrivener is really helping on keeping the different stories straight and organising the plot outlines as i said yesterday I shall be investing in it once my trial runs out

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  2. here is what I said out-loud when I finished reading your article… WOW PAULA …. that is the truth I’m not kidding! I feel this may be perhaps the ghost of most bloggers. Maybe writing about your ghost will help it move on… This ghost is familiar to me and I have to lock him up in a closet or I would never write about anything. Intriguing post and I could not stop reading. You can pull your audience in – that is talent!

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    1. Thankyou it is weird how we have such highs and lows last week was on ahigh from the story being accepted this week after family reactions back to doubting myself lol but thanks to all you wonderful people I have enough belief to keep going

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      1. We put too much weight on the reactions of our loved ones. My husband has never read one of my articles. It used to bother me, but not much anymore 🙂

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      2. He is just very old fashioned in some ways and to be honest he is one of those people who never reads fiction only factual books and biographies. as much as I love my parents I think I accepted most of their failing a long time ago and knew what reaction I would get but always still hoped they would prove me wrong

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      3. Your words cut me to the core because my parents are “under responders” too. I’ll get a “that’s nice” and that is about it. Thank goodness we have each other!

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      7. i agree but when I think back on it when i was younger it was praise and approval, now it is acknowledgement evetually i guess it will just be recognition I exist lol

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  6. I love the questions you asked of the ghost stories. I’ve been thinking of a ghost story and I think your questions will be very useful. By the way, congrats on being accepted for publication. Parents always have their kids’ finances in mind, but paid or not that is a great honour and accomplishment.

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  7. I totally relate to your disappointment with not getting the acknowledgement from your parents for your accomplishments. Money has nothing to do with passion or joy, and unfortunately some people can’t understand that.

    You rock for going ahead with your goals anyway. And while I know it would be nice to have the approval and support of your parents, I hope you know that the rest of us are rooting you on ten-fold 🙂

    I love ghost stories. I grew up in a house that was ‘haunted’ by ghosts, so I totally get into stuff like this. You’ll have lots of fun writing these stories.

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  8. Pingback: Ghost Story: Wailing Woman in White « Smokebear

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