by Jen Parks
Start with this: Four strangers get into a car...
It sounds like the beginning of a joke, doesn’t it? Or, maybe a B movie. What about the beginning of a novel?
Next, consider these words by E. L. Doctorow: “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
Confused yet? Let me back up and explain.
It’s Friday, January 8th and it’s the next to last day of the Bluegrass Writers Studio Winter Residency. All week, I’d attended workshops, craft talks, and readings. As I settle into my seat and open to a blank page in my notebook, readying myself for Lee Martin’s craft talk, I realize I am still hungry, though not for food like you might think. I am hungry for something else. Hungry for inspiration.