I have the idea for a story. It may turn into a novel.
For now it opens with, “...The great god Maui, it is said, created the island Maui, by tricking his brothers into thinking he had caught a huge fish. He told them to paddle faster so that he could pull the fish to the surface. As his brothers obeyed the command, the Hawaiian island, Maui, surfaced.”
The first bits of the opening line came to me, “…The great god, Maui…” as our plane began to descend at Kahului airport on the island of Maui.
We have visited the island many times, my children calling their second home. Through the years we have read many of the myths describing how each of the islands came into existence. Yet never had I thought to write a story from this perspective, that of the how the myth related to a character that would sit at the center of a story I wrote.
When thinking on the opening words, I, in fact had no character in mind, something odd for me. And then there was the matter of conflict, wants, desires, obsessions and obstacles.
The myth seemed to hold no obstacles. Maui’s brothers did as he said. Where was I to turn?
And so I thought.
I am still thinking, the words peeling, and winding their way through my thoughts.
This is interesting.
Have you ever had a story come to you in such fashion?
Perhaps it was image, the line of a poem, a son, and you lacked a main character, and a conflict?
Did you write the story?
If so, how?
Please share. I am searching for answers.