The Mystery of Writing

I wanted to share something about writing - and I hope it makes sense to those who aren't writers. I'm in the middle of reading a book on the writing craft, Escaping into the Open - the Art of Writing True, by Elizabeth Berg. There's a small section on 'plot' which is explained so perfectly I'll quote it now.

"There are two kinds of writers, those who start with a plot and those who end up with one. I am one of the latter." Elizabeth also says, "When I start a novel, I start with a feeling. It's a strong feeling, but that's all it is. There's something I very much want to say and/or understand, and I need a novel to help me do it."

Well, today I had the kind of feeling that Elizabeth refers to in her book. There is something I feel that is worthy of saying - it's hazy - but it's there, and the only way I can explain it is to put words on paper. I can almost see the outline of the character who might show me how to say what I feel. She's very hazy too, but she's lurking in a corner of my mind...perhaps waiting for her chance to 'escape into the open.'