A Polite Conversation: First, Enter an Idea. Later, Enter Story.

Idea: Hello.

Me: Who are you?

Idea: An idea.

Me: Hey, you’re not too bad.

Idea: I know. I think I have promise.

Me: So do I. Excuse me a moment.

Idea: Where are you going?

Me: I’m going to write.

Idea: Whoa! Hold on a minute. You’re going to write me?

Me: Why not?

Idea: Because I’m not a story. I’m only an idea.

Me: So?

Idea: You can’t make a story out of an idea. I mean, you can, but you can’t write an idea in place of a story, and then pass that off as a story. My stars, don’t you know how to do this?

Me: Sometimes I get confused.

Idea: I’ll say. Look, genius, I’m an idea. I’m not a story. You have to develop me into a story before you write the story. You can’t just slap down unrelated ideas on paper and call that a story. You have to develop them with characterization and atmosphere and plot points and imagery and…uh, oh. Wait a minute.

Me: What’s happening?

Idea: Something funny is going on here. Feel it?

Me: I sure do. Hey, where’d you go?

Story: I’m right here. Hello.

Me: I thought you’d never get here.

Story: Better late than never. Let’s get to writing.