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My “Eureka!” Moment in Writing

November 27, 2017

There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​unique​ ​magic​ ​to​ ​epiphany.​ ​That​ ​“A-HA!”​ ​moment​ ​when​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​elusives tumble​ ​into​ ​perfect​ ​place,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​picture​ ​is​ ​illuminated.​ ​We​ ​live​ ​for​ ​those​ ​moments​ ​of​ ​sudden, and​ ​often​ ​precipitate,​ ​clarity.​ ​Indeed,​ ​sometimes​ ​it​ ​feels​ ​as​ ​if​ ​the​ ​universe​ ​is​ ​fed​ ​up​ ​with​ ​our ignorance​ ​and,​ ​like​ ​a​ ​weary​ ​and​ ​sighing​ ​parent,​ ​holds​ ​out​ ​the​ ​“eureka!”​ ​to​ ​us​ ​in​ ​a​ ​neatly​ ​wrapped gift​ ​box​ ​of​ ​blood,​ ​sweat,​ ​tears.​ ​Yes,​ ​“eureka!”​ ​is​ ​good,​ ​necessary,​ ​and​ ​with​ ​consistent​ ​work, inevitable​ ​in​ ​any​ ​endeavor.​ ​Its​ ​children​ ​are​ ​confidence​ ​and​ ​momentum,​ ​two​ ​elements​ ​that​ ​must offer​ ​themselves​ ​up​ ​to​ ​any​ ​process​ ​if​ ​there​ ​is​ ​to​ ​be​ ​success​ ​(however​ ​you​ ​measure​ ​it).

I​ ​recently​ ​had​ ​an​ ​“eureka!”​ ​about​ ​the​ ​creative​ ​writing​ ​process,​ ​a​ ​process​ ​that​ ​has​ ​been​ ​a part​ ​of​ ​my​ ​routine​ ​for​ ​nearly​ ​two​ ​years​ ​now​ ​(since​ ​I​ ​began​ ​drafting​ ​my​ ​first​ ​novel​ ​in​ ​December of​ ​2015).​ ​I’d​ ​been​ ​waiting​ ​for​ ​this​ ​one​ ​for​ ​quite​ ​some​ ​time​ ​when​ ​there​ ​it​ ​was,​ ​late​ ​to​ ​the​ ​party, wearing​ ​a​ ​tired​ ​expression​ ​of​ ​amusement.​ ​When​ ​I​ ​finally​ ​could​ ​grasp​ ​it​ ​in​ ​my​ ​hands,​ ​I understood​ ​something​ ​that​ ​both​ ​terrified​ ​and​ ​exhilarated​ ​me​––when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​writing​ ​a narrative​ ​(or​ ​really,​ ​anything)––there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​“eureka!” 

A​ ​well-written​ ​story​ ​has​ ​the​ ​following:​ ​

  • A​ ​tangible,​ ​developed​ ​setting,​ ​
  • Rich​ ​and dimensional​ ​characters,​ ​each​ ​with​ ​their​ ​own​ ​relationships​ ​(to​ ​the​ ​land,​ ​to​ ​each​ ​other,​ ​and​ ​to themselves),​ ​
  • A​ ​plot​ ​driven​ ​by​ ​the​ ​characters​ ​themselves,​ ​growing​ ​as​ ​they​ ​do,​ ​and​ ​never​ ​falling victim​ ​to​ ​the​ ​many​ ​cheap​ ​cliches .​ ​​

​Each​ ​scene​ ​should​ ​be​ ​compelling​ ​in​ ​its own​ ​way,​ ​depicting​ ​detailed​ ​action​ ​either​ ​in​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​conversation​ ​between​ ​two​ ​human​ ​beings,​ ​or in​ ​an​ ​epic​ ​battle​ ​in​ ​a​ ​war​ ​to​ ​save​ ​the​ ​world​ ​(whichever​ ​is​ ​your​ ​cup​ ​of​ ​tea).​ ​

With​ ​all​ ​of​ ​these moving​ ​parts,​ ​I​ ​became​ ​overwhelmed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​sheer​ ​amount​ ​of​ stuff​​ ​I​ ​had​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​track​ ​of​ ​while drafting​ ​my​ ​story.​ ​

Movement​ ​of​ ​characters,​ ​natural​ ​dialogue,​ ​plot​ ​holes,​ ​pacing.​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​the masters​ ​did​ ​it,​ ​the​ ​talented​ ​authors​ ​I’ve​ ​looked​ ​up​ ​to​ ​for​ ​years,​ ​the​ ​genius​ ​storytellers​ ​that​ ​inspire me​ ​to​ ​create​ ​as​ ​they​ ​do.​ They​ could​ ​keep​ ​track​ ​of​ ​it​ ​all.​ ​

Somewhere​ ​in​ ​their​ ​process,​ ​there​ ​was that​ ​“eureka!”​ ​moment​ ​when​ ​they​ ​could​ ​see​ ​how​ ​everything​ ​could​ ​be​ ​tracked​ ​and​ ​connected​ ​to weave​ ​a​ ​great​ ​tale.​ ​In​ ​short,​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​that​ ​at​ ​some​ ​point,​ ​things​ ​would​ ​finally​ ​be​ ​completely developed​​ ​on​ ​the​ ​page,​ ​the​ ​story​ ​reaching​ ​its​ ​own​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​epiphany.

But​ ​that​ ​is​ ​not​ ​the​ ​way​ ​of…​ ​well,​ ​anything.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​never​ ​a​ ​moment​ ​of​ ​completeness​ ​in​ ​a story.​ ​No​ ​character​ ​is​ ​ever​ ​“finished”​ ​(even​ ​when​ ​he/she​ ​dies).​ ​Just​ ​as​ ​in​ ​life,​ ​development​ ​itself is​ ​perpetual,​ ​evolution​ ​an​ ​unstoppable​ ​force.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​change,​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​live.​ ​

Stories​ ​know this​ ​same​ ​truth.​ ​In​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​character,​ ​plot,​ ​pacing,​ ​stories​ ​are​ ​never​ ​truly​ ​finished​ ​and​ ​there​ ​is never​ ​a​ ​“eureka!”​ ​moment​ ​of​ ​completeness.​ ​You​ ​may​ ​finish​ ​a​ ​novel,​ ​pleased​ ​with​ ​the​ ​results​ ​and the​ ​hard​ ​work​ ​that​ ​infused​ ​the​ ​process​ ​of​ ​its​ ​creation,​ ​but​ ​no​ ​writer,​ ​artist,​ ​creator​ ​is​ ​ever completely​ ​satisfied​ ​with​ ​their​ ​work.​ ​We​ ​all​ ​know​ ​that​ ​our​ ​work​ ​is​ ​still developing,​ ​changing.​ ​This​ ​truth​ ​is​ ​the​ ​familiar​ ​ache​ ​in​ ​our​ ​bones. It​ ​sits​ ​in​ ​us​ ​through​ ​the duration​ ​of​ ​our​ ​grandest​ ​endeavors.

If​ ​the​ ​story​ ​does​ ​not​ ​change,​ ​it​ ​does​ ​not​ ​live.​ My​ ​“eureka!”​ ​was​ ​the​ ​realization​ ​that​ ​there would​ ​be​ ​no​ ​“eureka!”,​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​story​ ​would​ ​never​ ​come​ ​together​ ​completely.​ ​It​ ​will​ ​always​ ​be transitioning.​ ​

After​ ​my​ ​first​ ​“eureka!”​ ​moment,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​another,​ ​more​ ​subtle​ ​one,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​has​ ​been my​ ​battle​ ​cry​ ​every time​ ​I​ ​sit​ ​down​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​with​ ​the​ ​page:​ there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​“eureka!”​ ​moment,​ ​and that’s​ ​a​ ​good​ ​thing.

Yes,​ ​nothing​ ​would​ ​ever​ ​truly​ ​make​ ​full​ ​sense.​ ​There​ ​would​ ​be​ ​characters whose​ ​motivations​ ​still​ ​eluded​ ​me,​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​the​ ​plot​ ​that​ ​seemed​ ​too​ ​contrived​ ​or​ ​shallow.​ ​Mysteries​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world​ ​ ​ ​would​ ​keep​ ​both​ ​my​ ​characters​ ​and​ ​myself​ ​up​ ​at​ ​night, pondering​ ​and​ ​postulating.​ ​And​ ​it​ ​was​ ​not​ ​just​ okay,​ but​ good. 

Let​ ​the​ ​simple​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​you’ll​ ​never​ ​truly​ ​know​ ​what​ ​you’re​ ​doing​ ​(as​ ​odd​ ​as​ ​that​ ​sounds) make​ ​you​ ​more​ ​confident​ ​and​ ​free​ ​in​ ​your​ ​writing.​ ​It’s​ ​the​ ​only​ ​way​ ​to​ ​write​ ​any​ ​narrative.​ ​Once you​ ​accept​ ​that​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​“eureka!”–– ​you​ ​accept​ ​that​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​right​ ​process,​ ​no​ ​right​ ​set​ ​of rules​ ​for​ ​reaching​ ​fruition.​

​Accept​ ​this​ ​fact,​ ​and​ ​watch​ ​how​ ​free​ ​your​ ​writing​ ​becomes​ ​(and​ ​how sane​ ​you​ ​remain).​ ​Never​ ​think​ ​you​ ​know​ ​more​ ​about​ ​your​ ​characters​ ​than​ ​they​ ​do,​ ​and​ ​never believe​ ​your​ ​story​ ​will​ ​follow​ ​the​ ​set​ ​path​ ​you​ ​initially​ ​create​ ​for​ ​it.​ ​It​ ​will​ veer​,​ ​float​ ​off​ ​to​ ​new places,​ ​breathing​ ​in​ ​new​ ​ideas​ ​like​ ​some​ ​beautiful,​ ​fascinating​ ​beast.​ Let​ ​it.

BIO:

Aidan Laliberte is a non-union actor and creative writer living in North Kingstown, RI. He began performing at eight years old when he was cast as Baby Wilbur in a local community theater production of Charlotte’s Web. After secondary school, Laliberte, originally intending to pursue a career in medicine, dropped out of college after one semester and began building a career in performance, more specifically, in film. Laliberte performed both lead and supporting roles in several short and feature-length films. He currently works as production coordinator on a YouTube variety series for one of the world’s largest brands. After years of journaling and dabbling casually in writing (he won several academic awards for his various short stories and essays throughout his schooling), the craft has became more than a frequent outlet, but a creative and career priority. In December 2015, he began drafting his first fiction novel and is expected to finish in the coming months. Apart from drafting his current novel, Laliberte continues to journal every day and write in a variety of formats, including scripts, short stories and essays. He has many projects in development.

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2 Comments

  • Reply Cherrilynn Bisbano - Associate Editor A3 November 27, 2017 at 10:50 am

    Aidan, I love your article. I feel the same way when I write. I now keep a log of who’s who in my book and who works where. The details are important. Thanks for sharing.

  • Reply M. R. Shupp November 27, 2017 at 11:06 am

    I’ve been trying for years to get my novel to be perfect. But after seven drafts, it still isn’t. Thanks for sharing your eureka moment. I knew that no one’s writing was perfect, but I guess it makes me feel a little better hearing someone else say it. No one’s writing will be perfect, so mine doesn’t have to be either. Of course, I’ll still strive to get as close to perfection as I can, but I can be free in my writing and not tied to perfection.

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