Just hit 100 pages on a story I thought would be a quick 10-page thing

I sat down six months ago with a simple idea for a short story, something about a person finding a key that only works on rainy days. I figured it would be a neat little 10-page piece, maybe 15 if I got carried away. I wrote it in a notebook first, then typed it up, and just kept adding layers. A new character showed up, then a whole backstory for the key, and now I'm looking at a full 100-page document on my screen. It matters because I always quit longer projects, thinking I don't have the focus. Seeing that page count, a real solid number, proved I could stick with something. It's messy and needs a ton of work, but it exists. Has anyone else had a prompt completely blow up on them like this, where a small idea just wouldn't stop growing?

3 comments

3 Comments

amygonzalez3mo ago

Totally get that. My current novel started as a 500-word writing exercise. The trick for me was to stop planning an ending. I just let myself follow the next interesting question each day, like what if the key's maker showed up. It built momentum because I was always curious what happened next. Outlining the whole thing would have made me quit.

lopez.holly3mo ago

That idea of following the next interesting question sounds fun, but I'd be so lost without an outline. For me, not knowing the ending would make me freeze up completely. I need that basic roadmap so I can actually enjoy writing the scenes. Otherwise I'd just stare at a blank page every day.

verab281mo ago

@amygonzalez makes a good point about momentum. For me, the trick was giving myself permission to write a garbage first draft. I used to freeze up trying to plan everything, but then I just started typing whatever came to mind, no matter how dumb it sounded. After a few chapters, the story started to take shape on its own and I had a rough idea where it was heading. Getting words on the page, even bad ones, was the only way I could stop staring at that blank screen. By the time I hit the middle, I knew my characters well enough that the ending kind of wrote itself.