three seven
02-03-2005, 08:49 PM
Ok, a little story, the point of which I'm sure will come to me.
About ten years ago, following the fiery assassination of my first novel, I suffered a loss of motivation followed by a period of child-rearing, career building and so on. I didn't write for seven years, though throughout that time I had stories whizzing around my head. I found inspiration everywhere I looked, but I found excuse after excuse not to sit down and start typing.
In the summer of 2001, everything seemed to fall into place and I sat down and banged out an opening chapter. And then I blocked up and failed to write anything significant for another three years. However, I spent that time developing my characters to the point where I knew them better than they knew themselves.
A couple of weeks ago, enough was enough. It all sprang into place again and I sat down to write. Another fresh start. It seemed to be going desperately slowly. Some days I'd just sit and stare blankly at the screen, knowing what I was trying to say but finding no way of getting it down. I typed my lead character's name and even that sounded wrong. The actions and feelings I was managing to get down felt like those of someone I didn't know at all. And then I realised what was happening: The person I was describing was not the character I'd had sitting in my head for the last six or seven years, but a completely different person altogether. No wonder I couldn't write - I was trying to force her to do and feel things that she simply didn't want to.
'So who the hell are you?' I said. Now I know that a lot of people fill out questionnaires and whatnot for their characters, while I find it easier to do a little Photoshop montage that defines their personalities. Just the way my mind works, visually. Within minutes, and with no conscious creative input from me, I was staring at a whole new personality.
I've never forgotten the feeling I had ten years ago when, about half way through my first book, it started to write itself faster than I could type it. The excitement and anticipation of not knowing where it was leading or what was going to happen to those people was nervewracking to say the least, and now I'm feeling it again! All of my plans, and most of what I thought I knew have flown out of the window and I've never felt better about writing than I do today.
Well anyway, I hope at least something I've said makes sense to someone, somewhere. And to anyone who isn't bored to tears by now, you've been a wonderful audience and I'm here all week.
About ten years ago, following the fiery assassination of my first novel, I suffered a loss of motivation followed by a period of child-rearing, career building and so on. I didn't write for seven years, though throughout that time I had stories whizzing around my head. I found inspiration everywhere I looked, but I found excuse after excuse not to sit down and start typing.
In the summer of 2001, everything seemed to fall into place and I sat down and banged out an opening chapter. And then I blocked up and failed to write anything significant for another three years. However, I spent that time developing my characters to the point where I knew them better than they knew themselves.
A couple of weeks ago, enough was enough. It all sprang into place again and I sat down to write. Another fresh start. It seemed to be going desperately slowly. Some days I'd just sit and stare blankly at the screen, knowing what I was trying to say but finding no way of getting it down. I typed my lead character's name and even that sounded wrong. The actions and feelings I was managing to get down felt like those of someone I didn't know at all. And then I realised what was happening: The person I was describing was not the character I'd had sitting in my head for the last six or seven years, but a completely different person altogether. No wonder I couldn't write - I was trying to force her to do and feel things that she simply didn't want to.
'So who the hell are you?' I said. Now I know that a lot of people fill out questionnaires and whatnot for their characters, while I find it easier to do a little Photoshop montage that defines their personalities. Just the way my mind works, visually. Within minutes, and with no conscious creative input from me, I was staring at a whole new personality.
I've never forgotten the feeling I had ten years ago when, about half way through my first book, it started to write itself faster than I could type it. The excitement and anticipation of not knowing where it was leading or what was going to happen to those people was nervewracking to say the least, and now I'm feeling it again! All of my plans, and most of what I thought I knew have flown out of the window and I've never felt better about writing than I do today.
Well anyway, I hope at least something I've said makes sense to someone, somewhere. And to anyone who isn't bored to tears by now, you've been a wonderful audience and I'm here all week.