First You Jump Off The Cliff…

Posted byDamien WalterPosted inWriting Journal

…then you build your wings.

Which is a quote by Ray Bradbury that I like very much. Today I took my leap from the cliff edge and started work on a new story. Over the weekend I thought over the two ideas I had written as outlines. I was still trying to decide between them when I sat down with a cup of tea at my customary table in the Borders coffee shop. In all honesty I wasn’t feeling very happy with either idea. I was considering ditching both and starting again. There was a dark grey rainstorm outside that mirrored my mood. But this was the deadline. Time to get started. Time to jump off the cliff.

So I did.

It was one of the characters that tipped me over the edge. I realised he had a journey to go on, and I wanted to go on it with him. I’m pretty sure I know where’s going. I have no idea how he gets there.

Better get building those wings.

Published by Damien Walter

Writer and storyteller. Contributor to The Guardian, Independent, BBC, Wired, Buzzfeed and Aeon magazine. Special forces librarian (retired). Teaches the Rhetoric of Story to over 35,000 students worldwide.

One thought on “First You Jump Off The Cliff…”

  1. I think I must have been running through exactly the same rainstorm. I chose the 45 minute window during which it was down pouring to leave the house. Words cannot describe how soaked I got. I think I must be mad. Good luck with those wings…

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