The first novel I was SUPPOSED to write severely pissed me off.  We had a falling out.  It was a disaster.

For nine years I was virtually married to this small town story with a small but poignant supernatural element. It began as a short film I wrote in college. Then it became a feature film screenplay.  Then a long screenplay, then an unmanageably massive screenplay.  Then a novel….then a screenplay again…then a novel again…then…

<pant pant>

I was lost at sea for sure. My project was out of control.  I was its indentured servant on good days and chained in its prison on the bad.

Then, when it seemed like all hope was lost, I learned about chapter summaries.  Brilliant! I’ll write the summary start to finish and then whatever I put in that summary will be what it will be.  Done. Ka-put.  I would retake command of this vessel and fly to the sunset.

The summary began. Like a bull in a rodeo it leapt about snorting angrily.  This beast would not be tamed.

Finally I decided a mind game was my last hope.  I looked that small town story in the eye and said:

“I’m putting you down. You hear me?? I’m putting you down!” And then I reached in my back pocket and waved a new story in her face. This story was passionate and seductive, with present eyes that had watched me patiently throughout my struggles.  And let me tell you, she was developed.

She had it everywhere it counted.

Her name was THE DARK PROVINCE – a story about a very conservative man thrown into a forbidden world its people had sworn to avoid.

“You see this?” I cried to my small town story. “I’m working with HER for a while.  And if you don’t act right I’ll keep working with her and you won’t ever see the light of day!”

Secretly I expected my mistress to be only a brief distraction.  I expected to be back in the arms of my long term lover in a matter of days, hopefully having spent some time in couples therapy and empowered to finish the job.  But just days later I held in my hand a completed chapter summary…for The Dark Province.  It fell out of me like a child’s toy I’d been hiding in my shirt.

I showed it to my wife (my real one, that is), who was well aware of the back pocket mistress. Her words were simple on the matter:

“Write it.”

That was the last I saw of the small town story.  Within six months the first draft of an epic fantasy adventure was written. Next month it will be published as my debut novel.

I know that small town story is still out there, though. One day she’ll be back and we’ll work things out. Our turbulent relationship will settle and bear the fruit, this I believe.

But for the time being THE DARK PROVINCE and I are having our moment and taking our adventure together one step at a time.