Hey when writing your stories, have you ever felt possessed?

BlueLucario · Mar 25, 2008

This happened to me just this once, a while ago. When I'm writing the story, first-person. I feel like my characters are possessing me. Taking over me, controlling me, telling me what to write. and when I submitted it to SYW.(That was a long time ago people

) A lot of people said it was great! (That's a first

). This sort of happened as a result. I thought that was the coolest, and the weirdest experience I ever had. I want it to happen again, but apparently, Lily hasn't come back yet.

Now everything I write seems forced and Lily is getting passive again.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever felt like your character is possessing you? Have you ever had fantasies of your own characters? Roleplaying the scenes? Have you ever looked back at your story and you feel icky or you freak out about it?

This happened to me, but I don't want others to think I've gone mental. (I think I have.)

What about you? Has this happened to you?

bluntforcetrauma · Mar 25, 2008

Uhh...backs slowly toward the exit.

Axelle · Mar 25, 2008

It might be different in my case because I never write in the first person, but I usually feel like the characters are alive and doing whatever they want, including messing with my head. Sometimes, I've got something planned, and it doesn't work out when I write the scene because the character just won't do it. No matter how nicely I ask. In my sense, that simply means the characters have a strong personality, and all the better !

bluntforcetrauma · Mar 25, 2008

Axelle said:
I usually feel like the characters are alive and doing whatever they want, including messing with my head. Sometimes, I've got something planned, and it doesn't work out when I write the scene because the character just won't do it. No matter how nicely I ask. In my sense, that simply means the characters have a strong personality, and all the better !

Threaten the little bastards with the delete button if they don't cooperate.

san_remo_ave · Mar 25, 2008

Yep. It's often called "channeling the muse". It's a rare and beautiful thing.

yappo · Mar 25, 2008

I'll join bft on the safe side of the exit.

BlueLucario · Mar 25, 2008

Okay, maybe I am going crazy.

Starbrazer · Mar 25, 2008

What is your Muse for three hundred dollars!

BlueLucario said:
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever felt like your character is possessing you? Have you ever had fantasies of your own characters? Roleplaying the scenes? Have you ever looked back at your story and you feel icky or you freak out about it?

I think it should happen to you if the story is real to you. Every story I write I'm there living in their skin, breathing the air of their realities. So yeah, it's just the awesome power of projecting your imagination, otherwise known as your Muse. This is actually your Higher Self visually and almost physically creating another world, and it is in this state that our best work lives. Don't be afraid of it, rather embrace it as the Gift that it is.

Think: Why are you writing stories in the first place?

drachin8 · Mar 25, 2008

I write best (aka, fewer edits later) when I feel like I am breathing my characters in and out, but I don't let them control the story. They determine their actions and dialogue, and I get to control what happens to them as a result. The downside is when without that feeling, I find it harder to write and tend to think everything I've done is just "wrong", which doesn't make for the most positive experience. Nobody said writing was easy, though (okay, I am sure somebody has actually said that, but I would like to strangle them for their apparent ease of craft).

-Michelle

Komnena · Mar 25, 2008

bluntforcetrauma said:
Threaten the little bastards with the delete button if they don't cooperate.

I tried that. They called my bluff.

ishtar'sgate · Mar 25, 2008

BlueLucario said:
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever felt like your character is possessing you? Have you ever had fantasies of your own characters? Roleplaying the scenes? Have you ever looked back at your story and you feel icky or you freak out about it?

This happened to me, but I don't want others to think I've gone mental. (I think I have.)

What about you? Has this happened to you?

I know what you mean - kinda. My characters DO take on a life of their own and I follow along writing madly so I can keep up with them. Never had fantasies about my characters or roleplayed scenes. Some scenes do tend to freak me out and give me chills when I look back at them.
Linnea

HeronW · Mar 25, 2008

I call it being used by the Muses and that's fine by me--except the worst time was 2 stories demanding to be out at the same time so I had to stay up from 11 pm to 6 am writing. After that I told the Muses to please take turns.

JamieFord · Mar 25, 2008

As long as your name isn't Jack Torrance and as long as you're not typing at the Overlook Hotel...

Mr Flibble · Mar 25, 2008

I was writing a very tense scene once, when the phone went.

I screamed.

So the answer would be -- yes, if I'm lucky.

donroc · Mar 25, 2008

Absolutely.

Madison · Mar 25, 2008

oh, it happens to me. usually at the most unfortunate times - when I'm not at the computer, trying to fall asleep, or in class. but it happens! and it's awesome. scary, because I feel like I don't have control of my mind (ooh...I sound like I should be locked up) but awesome.

and it's annoying sometimes - once I wanted a character to die and he wouldn't. i mean, i tried to kill him but he refused to die. and then another character, whom i really loved, died even though i tried to stop him. i was pissed.

stormie · Mar 25, 2008

BlueLucario said:
Okay, maybe I am going crazy.

Then join the crowd.

Seriously, it happens. That's why it's hard for me to write a synopsis or outline at the beginning. I let the character take over. I feel like I become the MC. Makes for good writing.

Mr Flibble · Mar 25, 2008

Madison said:
once I wanted a character to die and he wouldn't. i mean, i tried to kill him but he refused to die.

I ended an evening coming out of my fugue saying: 'Oh crap, I've just killed the love interest in a romance. How did that happen? Now what?'

And I couldn't ressurect him, because it all made sense. Luckily that made the second half of the book sooo much better.

Bufty · Mar 25, 2008

Nope.

Marian Perera · Mar 25, 2008

Have you ever felt like your character is possessing you?

No. If I'm not in primary control of the story, it's not going to be the best story I can write.

Have you ever looked back at your story and you feel icky or you freak out about it?

What does "freak out" mean? Screaming or crying?

davids · Mar 25, 2008

Nope-well there was that time while imbibing in a modicum of imbibatious refreshment that Ichabod Crane piped up in me head but I am not sure whether I was being Irvingized or just a tad inebriated-nope-gotta go with the Buff-man here!

HourglassMemory · Mar 25, 2008

There are moments where I feel more like my character than usual. But that in no way is a possession. Ha!
After it I don't feel my knees falling to the floor as if I had been speaking in toungues. and no I don't scream.....writing for me, is a silent process.
I sometimes find myself acting as if I was my character but that's when I'm already in the mood.
even when I'm acting out it's inner speech. I don't talk outloud. However I do move around.
Only if I break something will it be a noisy writing process.

stormie · Mar 25, 2008

JamieFord said:
As long as your name isn't Jack Torrance and as long as you're not typing at the Overlook Hotel...

Or suddenly have the urge for your character to wield an axe and yell, "He-e-e-re's Johnny!"

Zelenka · Mar 25, 2008

IdiotsRUs said:
I was writing a very tense scene once, when the phone went.

I screamed.

So the answer would be -- yes, if I'm lucky.

Oh, I did that once. Can't remember what it was that give me a fright but I remember being so into the story that I jumped out of my skin when something disturbed me. I don't really see that as being possessed by my muse or anything like that, more just being really intensely into my writing. Again though I don't write in first person, so... *shrug*

bluntforcetrauma · Mar 25, 2008

IdiotsRUs said:
I ended an evening coming out of my fugue saying: 'Oh crap, I've just killed the love interest in a romance. How did that happen? Now what?'

This is where we differ. I would never hurt Susie!

Hey when writing your stories, have you ever felt possessed?

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