The Beginning of a Dream

 

Simon Bishop: Dream Stealer

Today marks the completion of the first draft of my novel, Where Dreams Begin. 

I'm so sad it's done. 

Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard? I'm sad that it's finished. I feel like I've said goodbye to friends and family. 

It began a long time ago. This past year, November 12th, 2025, I was working on the original story but decided I didn't know enough about the characters' history. I've only been messing with them for 10 years. 

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to do some bios on them. I decided instead to do character sketches. I can't explain what happened, but once I began to write, the words poured out. I had 30,000 in less than 2 weeks. And it didn't stop. It kept coming at that rate. I was writing up to 8 hours a day. I cried nearly every day for a week over what I was writing. 

Let me clear up one thing. Just before this, I went into a severe fibro flare. I was in constant pain all over my body, joints, and muscles. Details of my August, September, and October nightmare are on Life on the Ledge. Those months caused the flare that resulted in an increase of Cymbalta for the pain. 

The med increase worked. Pain stopped, and my brain woke up. Literally. I began the story November 12th and finished January 31st. The final count was 134,525 words in three months. 

I should be celebrating, but I'm sad that it's over. The good news is I already have ideas about a second in this series. Yes, series! No, I can't believe that. But writing this first one has given me a whole new outlook on it. Maybe I can do it. Maybe. I'm sure going to try.

Dream Stealer was the original title of what I was writing. Where Dreams Begin is the first in the series. The title of the next ... Eye of the God. 

Just writing that is exciting. 

Hang on to your seats. This is going to be fun. I can't wait.

Oh, that fella up there? That's Simon Bishop. He's the hero.

Following Instructions

As of today, this is my word count in the novel i'm working on. My goal is to finish this by the end of January. I've never reached this level before on a single book. 

I'm also nervous. Nothing like success to slow you down. 

I began on November 12th, 2025. They were only character sketches. So I could get a backstory on my characters. I felt I wasn't really able to get them moving in the right direction because I didn't know their stories. So... here we are, mid-January and over 100K. 

Who knew Simon would ever take off like this. Of course, I'm still not at The End. Once I hit that, I'll see how it feels. 

The only change in working on this is that I've spent days at a time writing. I mean, all day long and into the night. For the first 12 days, I reached 30K. I do not know how that happened. I lost 12 lbs because I kept forgetting to eat. And I was an emotional wreck in the middle of it because of a medication increase. 

Now I'm having issues with my left leg because I decided sitting and writing all day was probably not a good thing, and I went to the gym. In two days, I put 16 miles on the bike. Bursitis invitation sent. I felt good until the third day. 

A week later, when it was better. I thought I'll spend over $100 on some good shoes and go for a walk. My friend said, "Take it easy. Don't do too much. Just see how it goes." 

Did I listen? I thought so. 

I walked my normal pace for half a mile. No biggie. I felt great. Until the next few days. SI joint flared and invited bursitis again. They've been partying ever since. I'm now in physical therapy. 

PT is killing me. My legs are so sore! 

I'm still writing most of each day, but I am taking breaks. Someone informed me today to set a timer. Not my friend. The therapist. My friend just says Uh-huh. Of course, he also says, "Get some rest." So did the therapist. 

No, they don't know one another. I asked. 

So, that's where I am. I'm sitting here writing this blog before I go to bed. And I am going to bed. I was going to write some more. After all, I have a climax scene to write. I need to get my guys on the ground. 

But nope. Bed for me. 

My friend says I never follow directions. 

Of course, I do. 

Really. 

Most of the time. 

I Once Knew You

 

I once knew a girl. 

She was bright and sparkled in the sun. 

She ran through the yard and climbed trees. 

When she laughed, the sound was like songs. 

She grew strong and lithe and unbeatable.

Feeding the fire and mending the breaks. 

I once knew a woman.

 She was bright and sparkled in the sun.

She danced through rooms and into the night.

Her laughter faded, and song became silence.

She grew strong and brittle and broken.

Consumed by fire, with ashes filling the breaks.

Wave Rider

 I wrestled and strained against grasping waves

That sought to deliver me to a watery grave.

Through a swirling deep, I searched in vain

I found no horizon, no starry sky, just rain.

It seemed the night would never cease

Nor the fury of Poseidon grant me release.

Was it the salty sea or my tear-filled eyes

That hindered my sight and drowned my cries?

With a last surge of strength and a rage of my own,

I stretched trembling hands toward a great unknown.

A struggle, though fierce, that surely must fail

Unless hope holds stronger than a raging gale.

Somewhere in the darkness over boiling swells,

A dim light shines beyond the buffeting gales.

Clouds roll back and blue skies I see

And a gentle breeze calms the stormy sea.

A rising tide carries me swiftly to shore

Where the sun-warmed sand greets me once more.

A beach cleared of the stress and the strife

All left behind by the storms of my life.

Writing Exercises

 Ran across this old thing. This is a piece of off-the-cuff fiction I wrote. I still like it. Be advised, there are errors in it.  Do you write things like this?