How We Relate to Writing

The writing process, writing advice, and updates on your work in progress
Claudie
Posts: 707
Joined: June 9th, 2010, 3:57 pm
Location: Quebec
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by Claudie » February 5th, 2011, 1:16 pm

I really, really like the cat analogy. Maybe because mine does that too.

As for writing, well, it's not the act of writing itself that draws me, it's the story. I have these characters living inside of my head, interacting with each other, living an incredible tale, and ever since I've discovered how it felt to put them down on paper, I can't stop. There are days I'd do anything else but write (or revise. Especially revise) but I know that in the end, it will be worth it.

I want to share these stories. Yes, I bask in the creative process and enjoy skipping around in my imagination, but that wouldn't be enough to drive me through the bad days. The end goal and the prospect of sharing something profound and touching keep me going.
"I do not think there is any thrill [...] like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything." -- Nikola Tesla

bcomet
Posts: 588
Joined: January 23rd, 2010, 2:11 pm
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by bcomet » February 5th, 2011, 2:34 pm

Sometimes there is this story that HAS to get out!
And, sometimes, well, I just have to find out what happens next.

More than not, it is painful to be a writer. All that slow, monotonous work and no respect at the bank.
But sometimes, it is just darn entertaining!

Oh ya and I love me some chainsaw chipmunks and bossy cats too.

Margo
Posts: 1712
Joined: April 5th, 2010, 11:21 am
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by Margo » February 7th, 2011, 10:27 am

Lots of great interesting thoughts, guys. Thanks for speaking up.

bcomet mentioned that sometimes writing is painful, and I thought, YES! Because I feel very drawn to artists in all media who take what is most vulnerable inside themselves, without regard for whether it is ugly or paints them in an embarrassing light, etc, and lay it out for other people to see and recognize as their own. That's painful, but it is also my personal definition of true art.
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

Emily J
Posts: 250
Joined: March 31st, 2010, 2:20 pm
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by Emily J » February 7th, 2011, 11:12 pm

Claudie wrote:I really, really like the cat analogy. Maybe because mine does that too.

As for writing, well, it's not the act of writing itself that draws me, it's the story. I have these characters living inside of my head, interacting with each other, living an incredible tale, and ever since I've discovered how it felt to put them down on paper, I can't stop. There are days I'd do anything else but write (or revise. Especially revise) but I know that in the end, it will be worth it.

I want to share these stories. Yes, I bask in the creative process and enjoy skipping around in my imagination, but that wouldn't be enough to drive me through the bad days. The end goal and the prospect of sharing something profound and touching keep me going.
This is exactly how I feel.

I guess I say that I "love" writing, in that I think about it when I wake up in the morning, in the shower, at work, when I close my eyes at night, yada yada. But I suppose what I mean is, I love telling stories, I love using words to create an entire world than sprang from my head.

Words in themselves are just a method of expression. Its what you say that matters (well and how you say it yes). So I suppose I should clarify that. There are certainly times when I love the physical act of writing, but I always love story telling. But its the characters, the stories, the worlds than burn a hole in me until I find a way to let them out. Seriously, if I didn't write, I think i would go crazy!

Sommer Leigh
Moderator
Posts: 1624
Joined: April 2nd, 2010, 11:07 pm
Location: Omaha, NE
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by Sommer Leigh » February 8th, 2011, 8:47 am

I actually really love the actual act of writing and I don't like thinking about what I'm going to write even though I do it all the time. Thinking about it makes me antsy to do it, and I really want to be actually writing all the time. I don't know how to describe the physical work of writing for me, but everything that I'm doing when I'm not writing feels like a chore I have to get done before the good stuff starts.
May the word counts be ever in your favor. http://www.sommerleigh.com
Be nice, or I get out the Tesla cannon.

Fenris
Posts: 293
Joined: October 27th, 2010, 10:02 am
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by Fenris » February 8th, 2011, 10:32 am

My experience is similar to Sommer's, but more so to Guardian's. If a good story pops into my head (or the pieces to a good one, at least), I feel obliged to sit down and record it. And it feels great to do so, rather than just another responsibility to get out of the way.

One of my favorite things to do (and perhaps my best procrastination tool) is to sit and imagine the world of the story. Who are the characters, what are they like, how does the world affect them and how do they leave their mark on it in turn? I can sit for hours, staring into space, just daydreaming, and this is where most of my inspiration comes from. So once I resurface and return to reality, I feel refreshed and ready to start writing whatever has come to me.

I have this thing for grandeur (as in, I can't write relatively small-scale plots. It has to be epic), so occasionally I'll imagine myself as merely a channeler for the story, someone whose task it is to bring these tales to this world (I know, call me crazy, but it works). And it works quite well, since it's the equivalent of telling myself "you already know the whole story, now all you have to do is record it." It inspires confidence, at least in me -- rather than worry about it, I just forge ahead and see what happens. Interestingly enough, this principle itself eventually ended up being modified and inserted into the series I'm working on.

Sometimes it really takes discipline to get myself writing, but not usually. Once I get an idea into my head, I take the first chance to write it down. And if I run out of steam, I'm perfectly content to stop and go do something else -- I'll pick it up again eventually. My mind's busy enough that something interesting will pop into it again before long anyway.

As for drawing painful things from my own memories and adapting them for the page...sometimes. But only when the characters are similar to me; I try to avoid basing them off of myself (again with the idea that I'm merely the channeler), though recently I've established an interesting situation where a prank-WIP turned into a sequel (long story), so a few characters are based off friends of mine.

For me, writing is like getting to know a new friend. By the time the story is finished, you can look back and reflect on all the good memories before it introduces you to another story to play with for a while. And if you really hit it off, you can wander off into the distance together, ready for a new adventure.
Hi, my name's Fenris. I'm a thousand-year-old monster who's broken free to destroy the world. Your kids will love me!

Claudie
Posts: 707
Joined: June 9th, 2010, 3:57 pm
Location: Quebec
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by Claudie » February 8th, 2011, 3:12 pm

Fenris wrote:One of my favorite things to do (and perhaps my best procrastination tool) is to sit and imagine the world of the story. Who are the characters, what are they like, how does the world affect them and how do they leave their mark on it in turn? I can sit for hours, staring into space, just daydreaming, and this is where most of my inspiration comes from. So once I resurface and return to reality, I feel refreshed and ready to start writing whatever has come to me.
I once got stuck in an airport for over 48 hours and quickly ran out of battery on everything iPod and Gameboy. All I had was a pen and a notebook. This staring in empty space fun saved my sanity.
"I do not think there is any thrill [...] like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything." -- Nikola Tesla

User avatar
Leonidas
Posts: 99
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:35 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by Leonidas » February 8th, 2011, 3:29 pm

I write because it's the one way I know how to communicate well with other people. I write because there's a picture of me, three years old and sitting on my favorite swing, writing. I don't remember that picture being taken; I didn't even know it existed until last year, when my Aunt told me it'd sat on her workdesk ever since she's taken it.

I write because the story I'm trying to tell isn't my own -- it's the story of people I envy, of people I hope to eventually honor for everything they've done for me. It isn't mine to trash.

I can't decide to give up on it, not when it's dominated my life for the past three years.

Sometimes, I take breaks from it, sure. It's been two months since I last wrote something for my manuscript, since I last read over it. But the characters haven't died. I still think of them every day. I still wonder what it'd be like to sit and eat lunch with them. Then I imagine them having lunch together and I'm inspired all over again.

Now that ache, the empty pain that starts to twinge in my stomach whenever I've been away from the manuscript too long, has started again, and honestly, I can't wait to get home and start writing.

User avatar
Cookie
Posts: 540
Joined: September 20th, 2010, 11:18 am
Location: Berkshires
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by Cookie » February 10th, 2011, 8:30 am

Fenris wrote:

I have this thing for grandeur (as in, I can't write relatively small-scale plots. It has to be epic), so occasionally I'll imagine myself as merely a channeler for the story, someone whose task it is to bring these tales to this world (I know, call me crazy, but it works). And it works quite well, since it's the equivalent of telling myself "you already know the whole story, now all you have to do is record it." It inspires confidence, at least in me -- rather than worry about it, I just forge ahead and see what happens. Interestingly enough, this principle itself eventually ended up being modified and inserted into the series I'm working on.
I feel this way sometimes. I picture myself literally spinning the tale--with the ideas flowing around like thin glowing strands and I'm weaving them into something beautiful.
But mostly I write because if I do not unleash the creativity my head will explode.

User avatar
bySD
Posts: 5
Joined: February 7th, 2010, 9:04 am
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: How We Relate to Writing

Post by bySD » February 12th, 2011, 5:36 pm

Writing is something I only love in the lofty, abstract sense, but for some reason stick to it anyway. Some days.

P.S. That reason may the fact I enjoy writing more than I enjoy anything else I'm good at. Most likely though, it's just that there's not many other ways to get those pesky stories out of my head.
:D

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests