Getting Lost and Finding a Pearl

There’s nothing more exciting for a writer than getting lost in the pages and excitement of a great adventure inside a well-written book. Finding such an adventure isn’t an easy task.  You know they’re out there, they exist, but it’s like finding a pearl in an oyster. Often times you have to sift through dozens and dozens of shells discovering only an average, limp or dull story, and rarely find that rare jewel.  But, boy when you do, it’s an exhilarating ride, and it spurs that love/hate relationship.  You love it so much you can’t put it down, but you hate losing sleep, time, and the reality of life that gets in the way, or takes you away from the story for any period of time. I LOVE those types of stories.

I believe every story has the potential to be a pearl, but this jewel requires time to incubate and mature.  Readers keep getting grains of sand instead of pearls, because many writers don’t have any patience to allow their stories to develop.  They get a great idea and splash it in its raw form into a manuscript, but due to their impatience, don’t spend the energy, pain and time to turn their grain of sand into a priceless jewel.  And the sad part of it all …these writers expect their audience to be satisfied with a grain of sand.  They expect the reader to be able to ‘see’ the vision of what could have been, instead of laying it all out themselves.  The problem with that – once the sand is removed from the pearl, it doesn’t continue to evolve.  The development and transformation ceases, and it will never become a pearl. 

I’ve been guilty of peddling sand, but I’ve matured since, and I’m starting to see ripeness in my work. I’ve learned patience and gained a respect for my art, as well as my audience.  My greatest hope is that I can one day produce a wonderful pearl that some reader will find, enjoy and treasure.

Till next time,

~T.L. Gray