Like a little seed

Not too long ago, I started working on a new idea. It's a real departure for me, so it was exciting and strange and all things shiny. I've blogged about it a few times before. I am in love with the idea. It's amazing and unique. But right now, the words aren't coming. I get little flashes of scenes and dialogue, but there isn't a real solid direction for me to go. I was trying to just pants it, but the results are only so-so. I've poured a lot of energy into it so far and even more thought.

It reminds me of a thing my son is experiencing. He got a little plastic cup filled with dirt and a tiny corn seed in it a few weeks ago from his Sunday School class. We put some water on it and waited a few days. It sprouted! The roots grew so long you could see them wrapping around the bottom of the cup. It shot up four or five inches in just a few days. And then, it got too much water. Before too long, the poor little stalk had that little white fuzz that says "I'm rotting." It couldn't support itself and now, it's withered away into nothing.

I think sometimes our ideas are like that. In the first mad crash of excitement, we put too much into them, too soon, and they never really take off. We don't put in the time to let the little seed of an idea germinate and grow into something strong enough to stand on its own. Ideas in their earliest stages need careful attention and lots of time before they can really become what we envision. The minute we pressure ourselves or push too hard, the idea dies a little and we have to back off any way.

So, recognizing this, I'm going back to revisions of my other pieces and letting shiny new idea grow a little more in my mind before I kill it off completely.

Now, friends, how are things going for the rest of you? Are you pieces growing the way you hoped they would?