The Big Picture

I like to think of the big picture as a panoramic view. You see the important elements without the details. Big picture people include entrepreneurial types and visionaries.

Ah, there's that word again: vision. You can see this great idea in your head, but how can you make it a reality?

To my way of thinking, writing is a three-fold endeavor:

1) Vision - the great idea. You're not thinking about how you'll communicate it, but you are totally captivated.

2) Planning - think of a blueprint. We'll discuss this more next Monday.

3) Execution - This is where it all comes together. You sit down at the computer, open a document, and WRITE!

My own experience with the big picture" came in Gettysburg, PA back in 2004. An old-fashioned town square screamed, "history." I stood there awed by the view, and I "heard" the voices of the forefathers like distant echoes, fading away into nothingness.

That night, I went home and tried to write a poem. Uh, no. That didn't work. Maybe an article would be a good vehicle to communicate the vision. More frustration. Finally, I prayed. "Lord, if You want me to do something with this, You'll have to show me."

I'll never forget the fateful day in August 2005, nearly eight months later, when my husband and I were discussing, "The Gettysburg Experience." He startled me with the declaration, "That's it! That's your book, and it will be called 'Ghosts of the Past.' You'll have it done in four months."

I thought he was crazy and said so. As we talked, I saw what he meant. The next day, I sat at the computer with no idea how to proceed. In four months, I had 55,000 words and a story called, "Echoes of the Past," burning in my heart.

To be continued...

Some authors talk about reading a news story or getting an idea out of the blue. How was your story conceived? What was your "Big Picture" moment?