Wayne’s Writing Process
For Wayne Stewart, inspiration often begins with a memory.
“Oh, that brings back a memory,”
is a phrase that frequently sparks his creative flow. When such a moment arises, he lets his imagination roam – fantasizing about what might have been. From there, a new tale begins to take shape, paving the way for a unique journey of storytelling.
Where He Gets His Ideas
Wayne’s creative ideas come from a variety of sources: dreams, passing thoughts, images, empathy for others, or even darker, more mischievous notions. Sometimes a single picture can inspire an entire story. Other times, it’s the emotional pull of a moment or memory.
“The question is, are you going to invest the time it takes to tell the tale
For Wayne, the answer is yes because whether rooted in reality or fiction, stories deserve to be preserved and shared. Each idea, once it hits, is worth writing down.
His Tools and Writing Routine
To Wayne, a compelling story needs just three things:
a plot, strong characters, and a clear ending.
Everything else is embellishment a way to enrich the world and add depth to the narrative.
Take the simple rhyme “Jack and Jill.” In Wayne’s hands, it transforms:
“Jack, a poor farming lad, trapped in a world of poverty and labor, shared his world with Jill. She, a blacksmith’s offspring often mistaken as a tomboy, found comedy and fun in the presence of Jack…”
By the time Wayne reaches chapter four, something almost magical happens, we can say the story starts to write itself.
But every writer hits roadblocks. What many call writer’s block, Wayne calls an impasse – a sign that something earlier in the story isn’t working.
“You’ve come to a place in the story where no road goes on. You’ve told something wrong.”
His solution?
Delete the last chapter. If that doesn’t fix it, delete another. Somewhere in the earlier pages, the story took a wrong turn. It might take time to find, but Wayne trusts the process knowing that, eventually, the path forward will reveal itself.
