It's amazing how the universe aligns at times. My current WIP has been slowly plodding along. Two years slowly plodding But I've learned to trust my muse; things reveal themself when they're supposed to. It's time when it's time. This week, pieces I've been pulling together for weeks, months, crashed together.

I've known for quite a while that the first thing the eventual love-interest of my main character did upon moving to New York was to go to the Central Park boat pond. It was his first stop because he'd fallen in love with it when he'd read Stuart Little as a child. The episode were Stuart races across the pond had stayed with him. It was a life-changing moment as it turned out.

My friend Erin has been blogging A-Z this month. A couple of days ago, she challenged her readers to write characters that were Keyser Soze worth. Not someone I'd heard of before. I've never seen The Usual Suspects but Erin explained it well and challenged us to write character that were "a story unto themselves".

I've been thinking about my characters since then, both my WIP and my past. Are they a story unto themselves? And what can I do to make them that way?

In my day job, I'm a substitute teacher. Thursday and Friday this week, I worked in a first grade classroom. What has the teacher been reading to them? Stuart Little. What scene have I been working on this week? The one where Dave takes Angela on a picnic to Central Park, where they sit and watch the boat pond. One of Dave's favorite places in the world. What a coincidence. What connections.

Earlier this week, as well, my muse prompted me to go see Titanic, which is now out in 3-D. I knew there was an anniversary coming up but I had no idea until I sat down in the theater that 100 years ago tomorrow the boat sank. Talk about a movie with heart and characters that are a story unto themselves! Not too terrible a coincidence but, wow!

I got home, stared at a blank page, and pulled up Erin's post for today hoping for some inspiration. M for Muse. I thought about all the remarkable connections this week and put Celine Dion on Youtube. I knew there was stuff there, just beyond my reach.

I picked up my notebook (actual paper one) and began to write. Magic happened. I only got one page, but boy! What a page! I got to see the real Dave. And, I have to tell you, I had tears pouring down my face as I wrote. This man has the most amazing heart. It all came together - Stuart Little, Erin's K challenge, and Titanic. It's just a simple scene - a picnic at the park - but what revealed itself was simply amazing.

And now I'm stuck again. What do I write next after something so amazing? I'm not going to worry about it too much. After all, my muse proved today just what can happen if I'm patient.