Writers are mysterious creatures. We go through bursts of inspiration where our fingers are flying so fast across the keys that it seems lighting is fueling every motion. However, with the inspiration also comes the times when we are hit with the dreaded Writer’s Block. We stare at the same page for hours on end, trying to find even a spark of the inspiration we had experienced only days or weeks beforehand.
Recently, I started expanding on the short story I had published over a year ago. I knew the story needed to be told and questions needed answered. I knew there was so much that had to be explained, but after I had written a few sentences or even a few paragraphs, I had to stop for research. I couldn’t write a science fiction novel without fully knowing what science fiction was. Thus, I started on my own journey through space.
At first, I was looking at different types of galaxies and where they were located. I soon realized a MAJOR issue with my short story. If Canary was bound for the Horsehead Nebula, it would be heading back to the Milky Way. Once this discrepancy was discovered, I was banging my head off a wall for my lack of research. After I was done wallowing in my naivety, I steeled my nerves and delved deeper into space. The research expanded past NASA and straight into space, and you can bet I was watching the live revealing of the supermassive black hole within Virgo A (Messier 87).
I soon settled on The Black Eye Galaxy (Aka: Messier 64, Evil Eye Galaxy, and Sleeping Beauty Galaxy) and realized it was much like the Milky Way. However, I still hit Writer’s Block. I had no idea how Canary was going to operate, how the inhabitants would get food, water, and other essentials, or how long the journey to the new galaxy would take.
That’s when my fiance, my father, and my mentor came into play. They asked questions that my audience would ask, and it prompted more research and everything started to formulate to a solid idea as I started to find answers to those questions. They also gave me amazing ideas and helped to fuel the fire that had burned to embers.
As of now, the fires are burning bright and are still stoked by the three men that have pushed me to think outside of the Milky Way. Keep an eye out. Canary is once more in the air, and she’s showing no signs of slowing until she awakens the Sleeping Beauty.
B.R. Fairchild 