Notebooks upon notebooks
Words upon words
So many things written
To help a story be heard
Two notebooks with ideas
Another with reminders
Then there’s the several
That have the story in their binders
So many with scenes
written out on the pages
To be reviewed and edited
The start of the stages
Let’s not forget
All the loose papers,
notecards, and lists
A million or more words to help this story exist.
Being a writer isn’t easy
Ideas come when you least expect it
You have to get it down somewhere
Or else you’ll regret it.
On a document on your phone
A notecard or a sticky
A papertowel from work
You can’t be picky
So with all these notes
Scattered about
It’s hard to remember
Through all the doubt
A story of a hundred thousand
Takes many more words
I bet a million
Only makes up one of my thirds
Write the ideas
Write the hopes
Write whatever it takes
To make this story not a joke
One million
Two, three, or four
It’ll be worth it someday
I know that and more
So, I’ll keep writing
On whatever’s in hand
To make my story happen
And help it to stand
nikki diekemper 