Drowning In Doubt

Our current project, the anthology we call “Split”, has been a huge challenge for me. I still lag seriously behind in completion of my contribution, Henri’s Companion. I’ve struggled to find the time and inspiration to write based on the project’s dichotomy theme.

With several false starts, I found time running out. Putting a set of rigid parameters on my story setting and limiting the cast of characters, an idea for Henri’s Companion came out of left field… a very dark and disturbing left field. It surprised no one more than me. The response from my long-time, ever-faithful readers was basically positive as was the response from my HFC friends. Still, I was immediately paralyzed by doubt in the value of the story as I’d originally conceived it.

I’ve spent a month casting first in one direction, and then another, trying to salvage what I felt was an extremely thin story premise. I’ve wallowed in self-doubt, second-guessed myself and considered lopping off various body parts in wholesale frustration at failure to magically cure this little exercise of its mediocrity. I’m happy to announce I am done with trying to make Henri’s Companion any more or any less than what it was born to be.

Henri’s Companion will retain its basic storyline. I will firm up my details, submit it for final critiques and shove it out of the nest. I have other stories to birth.

‘Children, can you spell angst?’

Joy