| Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me | |
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+6gobblegobble CJRay emilycross ReNu RosyT Novel-Goddess 10 posters |
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Novel-Goddess Editor of the Board
Number of posts : 505 Age : 30 Location : Everywhere. Job/hobbies : I write stuff. Humor : My entire life is one of those "you had to be there" jokes. Registration date : 2009-02-07
| Subject: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:25 pm | |
| Writing. It's just what we do. And, because some of us (*cough*me*cough*) are a bit more eccentric than others that we associate with every day, we tend to stick out.
We do weird stuff. We say weird things. We act strange. Some of us even talk to the voices...of our characters, that is.
So here is a thread dedicated to us -- our oddities, our quirks, our experiences with the "normals."
A few weeks ago I was talking to my English teacher, Mr. Kirby, about writing. He's my rival and one of the only other serious writers in the area. Point is, we were chatting about how I seem to have so much time to write and he never has any time to write. And he started saying that his characters were about ready to hurt him because he hadn't written anything in over a month. So we started talking about characters. Those happy voices in our heads.
Yeah, the other students had some odd looks to spare that day. In retrospect, we probably shouldn't have carried on that conversation in the middle of class...
So anyway, here's a thread for the oddities of writers. | |
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RosyT Fleshing out those Characters
Number of posts : 71 Location : Cambrdge, UK Job/hobbies : University lecturer; novelist Registration date : 2009-03-05
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:06 am | |
| Absolutely, yes - the voices in the head! And the way that sometimes you have a plot idea but when you try to write it, your characters just won't do or say the things you wanted them to, and the plot turns out quite different. Nobody but other writers seems to understand this!
Rosy | |
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ReNu Lois Lane has nothing on ReNu
Number of posts : 382 Location : Between the pages of a good book Job/hobbies : Working journalist, aspiring novelist, history buff, collector of vintage fountain pens and war medals. Registration date : 2009-02-08
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:27 am | |
| Ah the voices. Plus the way you sometimes end up identifying yourself with the chief character. More so if it's a first-person novel.
The worst part? Once, I wanted to know how other characters would react if the chief character behaved in a certain manner. And I behaved just like that to elicit reactions from people. I won't go into details, but I got into a LOT of trouble. | |
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emilycross The Boss of the Board
Number of posts : 1170 Age : 37 Registration date : 2009-02-05
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 2:21 am | |
| ReNu oh you make me laugh! How about when your sitting in the middle of a lecture or even in middle of conversation and you see people across the room and you start watching them and taking note of every little detail of how they behave because you know at some point you want to use them as a basis for a character | |
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ReNu Lois Lane has nothing on ReNu
Number of posts : 382 Location : Between the pages of a good book Job/hobbies : Working journalist, aspiring novelist, history buff, collector of vintage fountain pens and war medals. Registration date : 2009-02-08
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 5:52 am | |
| That too, Emily, and they take offence because you're just staring and not reacting to what they're saying/doing.
You end up taking notes on the lecturer:
"waggling front tooth, deep voice but gets quavery at high intonation; frequently moves right hand, palm facing the sky..."
And the next day a friend whom you've had a crush on forever wants to borrow your notes. | |
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CJRay Brainstorming for Ideas
Number of posts : 14 Location : PA Job/hobbies : Writer, blogger, artist, Pre-K teacher and Academy Director Humor : I'm incorrigible. Registration date : 2009-02-28
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 6:47 am | |
| Heeheeheeheehee! So glad to hear these confessions. I too, have been looked upon with wary eyes, when I've gone into the "zone of observation." This is what we do! We are observers, eavesdroppers, and maybe even a little "stalk-y" at times. (Just in Barnes & Nobles.) We are just wired a little bit differently than most. We have to be!
As far as the voices in my head... oh yeah, I have them. There are three of us in my writing process. I have my free-spirited muse, my editorial diva, and myself. You see, I'm the same parts right and left-brainer. (49% vs. 51%) So, there is a whole lot of shouting going on at times. FSM wants to go with the flow, ED wants to revise as we go, and I just want to enjoy the process.
With my characters, my family is used to my dialoguing with self. It took some time, though, for my kids to not look at me like I was insane. Now they know that Mom is just fleshing out stuff and tightening up her work. But, we must do it. We have to really know our characters, and what better way than to hear them or become them? | |
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Novel-Goddess Editor of the Board
Number of posts : 505 Age : 30 Location : Everywhere. Job/hobbies : I write stuff. Humor : My entire life is one of those "you had to be there" jokes. Registration date : 2009-02-07
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:18 am | |
| Heehee, ditto, Emily!
I got into a very long, involved conversation with my mother the other day about what it's like to be drunk...because I was in the middle of writing a scene where two characters were out drinking and I had no idea how to describe the effects of being drunk. My mother was giving me some very odd looks that day.
Oh, and several of my friends have taken to telling me that I'd better put them into a book and kill them off, because that's just cool. They even suggest how it should happen...
Everybody tells me that it's funny to watch me write because I'll make random facial expressions as I do so. It's so I can accurately describe the expression -- usually I don't even realize that I'm doing it. Haha. | |
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emilycross The Boss of the Board
Number of posts : 1170 Age : 37 Registration date : 2009-02-05
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:16 am | |
| this is terrible to say but novel if you ever want advice about what feels like to be drunk ask away. There a lots of differences, depending on the person themselves, their mood at the moment, and how much and what they had drank. God, i sound awful | |
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gobblegobble Editing the First draft
Number of posts : 251 Age : 39 Location : La La Land Job/hobbies : My job is being a Mom and My hobby is writing. Humor : "Due to budget cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off until further notice!" Registration date : 2009-03-04
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:18 am | |
| All I know about being drunk is from those goggles that the police have to show new student drivers what it feels like to be drunk.
I got to wear those in high school--another story for another day. That's how I write about being drunk. And Emily, you're not awful. | |
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emilycross The Boss of the Board
Number of posts : 1170 Age : 37 Registration date : 2009-02-05
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:27 am | |
| They have goggles? i've heard of 'beer goggles' - i.e. you think everyone looks attractive if your drunk enough. | |
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gobblegobble Editing the First draft
Number of posts : 251 Age : 39 Location : La La Land Job/hobbies : My job is being a Mom and My hobby is writing. Humor : "Due to budget cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off until further notice!" Registration date : 2009-03-04
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:47 am | |
| The ones I wore basically through my vision off and made it blurry. I wear contacts, so having blurry vision with those in already threw me for a loop. First they had me walk a line of tape without them. This line went right in front of the teacher's desk. Then they put them on me and had me walk the line again. I thought I was on the line, but actually ran right into the teacher's desk. Made me never want to be that way. | |
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Novel-Goddess Editor of the Board
Number of posts : 505 Age : 30 Location : Everywhere. Job/hobbies : I write stuff. Humor : My entire life is one of those "you had to be there" jokes. Registration date : 2009-02-07
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:40 am | |
| Woah, that's kinda freaky, gobble.
Okay, confession time...see, I talk to my characters. Sometimes out loud. Without realizing it. In public.
I was having a conversation with about four of my characters and I was speaking out loud -- not just my parts, but their parts as well. It was pretty embarassing. But it was around friends, so it wasn't too embarassing.
But still... | |
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Bluepolarbear March Competition Winner
Number of posts : 162 Age : 42 Location : NY Job/hobbies : Once Therapist, now SAHM. Humor : Yes Please! Registration date : 2009-02-06
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:11 pm | |
| I once put on a pair of beer goggles and had to remove them right away, I got so dizzy and nauseous.
My writing world is similar to yours Epona, taking note of people and how they interact. It's fascinating sometimes, especially the strange people that clearly don't fit in with the population. I've seen one guy twice on my commute with a top hat on, long curly black hair, and weird clothing that's very colorful and reminds me of the 80's rapper dressing on a bike. I wonder about him. He seems different.
I think that's why I became a therapist. That also fuels my writing. To make it clear though, I NEVER write about my client's. Working as a therapist just makes me aware of different forms of thought processes and actions. Especially with certain types of people or with certain diagnosis's. | |
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Novel-Goddess Editor of the Board
Number of posts : 505 Age : 30 Location : Everywhere. Job/hobbies : I write stuff. Humor : My entire life is one of those "you had to be there" jokes. Registration date : 2009-02-07
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:03 am | |
| You know, if I ever get a lot of money, I'm going to hire a therapist to test out a really interesting idea for characterization: talk to the therapist as a specific character. That would be really interesting. Haha. My friends say I'm nuts...I wonder why? | |
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emilycross The Boss of the Board
Number of posts : 1170 Age : 37 Registration date : 2009-02-05
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:35 am | |
| How about taking a personality test as a character? like myers briggs? | |
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Novel-Goddess Editor of the Board
Number of posts : 505 Age : 30 Location : Everywhere. Job/hobbies : I write stuff. Humor : My entire life is one of those "you had to be there" jokes. Registration date : 2009-02-07
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:47 am | |
| I've done that. It's so much fun. I also have that book, What Would Your Character Do? | |
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*Moonlight_Mania* Still typing first draft
Number of posts : 203 Age : 30 Location : Skyway Avenue Job/hobbies : Occupation: Student. Hobbies: Writing (duh), playing around with Photoshop, and singing. Humor : Laughing at my spastic self Registration date : 2009-04-15
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:40 am | |
| - Novel-Goddess wrote:
- You know, if I ever get a lot of money, I'm going to hire a therapist to test out a really interesting idea for characterization: talk to the therapist as a specific character. That would be really interesting. Haha.
xD That's amazing. o_O I've done the whole "watching people's movements to see how they act" kind of thing--usually in class. It's surprisingly helpful. And then they look at you like you're some sort of freak, so you look away and pretend you were just playing with your hair... ._.; But the best part is, while you're staring at them, you're trying to picture what would happen if you did this or that and using them as your guinea pigs, without them ever knowing. ^_^ I usually wear headphones when I'm on the computer to block out any distractions around me (my family is very loud), and that's even worse, since I get into my own world and my headphones kind of block the sound from me ever getting out. My family can tell if I'm writing because of the fact that I mumble to myself when I'm typing. >_>; | |
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Novel-Goddess Editor of the Board
Number of posts : 505 Age : 30 Location : Everywhere. Job/hobbies : I write stuff. Humor : My entire life is one of those "you had to be there" jokes. Registration date : 2009-02-07
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:05 pm | |
| Okay, I totally do that as well. I'll just start saying things out loud (without realizing it -- I listen to music, too) and saying the dialogue and EVERYTHING. I've even been known to adopt different voices for different characters. | |
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*Moonlight_Mania* Still typing first draft
Number of posts : 203 Age : 30 Location : Skyway Avenue Job/hobbies : Occupation: Student. Hobbies: Writing (duh), playing around with Photoshop, and singing. Humor : Laughing at my spastic self Registration date : 2009-04-15
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:36 pm | |
| Oh, thank goodness! Now I don't feel so weird that I'm the only one that does that! <3 But I don't do the voices though, probably because I wouldn't be able to hear it anyway. I just mumble it as I'm writing or reading it over. *nod nod* Aha, one of my main characters names' is Violet, and she's kind of the perfect-citizen-always-nice-to-everyone kind of person, and in a few situations I found myself asking what she would do. >-<; I hate disappointing people. *buries head in pillow* | |
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La Fleur Brainstorming for Ideas
Number of posts : 3 Registration date : 2009-03-09
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:29 am | |
| Hi all,
Yes, I'm a writer too. My problem is that I believe that my characters are real. I love them. Writing has so consumed my life that I barely get any work done, my house is an absolute mess... my goal is to at least finish this first novel. I'm nearly there, just finishing up some editing. Hopefully, I will finish within the week.
I am so lonely, but then I don't want to talk to anyone because it takes away from writing/editing. I merely exist here, but I live with my characters. To be honest, that is where I now reside. | |
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emilycross The Boss of the Board
Number of posts : 1170 Age : 37 Registration date : 2009-02-05
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:38 am | |
| La Fleur, i think we all get like that - consumed by writing. its a good thing (in measured doses). its great to hear your almost there.
I remember reading somewhere, that although living to write is brilliant, you have to remember that life is the best source of inspiration for writing. its all about balance i think. | |
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La Fleur Brainstorming for Ideas
Number of posts : 3 Registration date : 2009-03-09
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:00 pm | |
| That is very true. Unfortunately I have an 'all or nothing' personality. I can never find a happy medium. However, it is now my goal to do so. I read Stephen King's On Writing, and he mentioned that he only writes for 3 hours every morning. How does he do it? I am working on something every spare moment it seems. It has consumed me. ;-) | |
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gobblegobble Editing the First draft
Number of posts : 251 Age : 39 Location : La La Land Job/hobbies : My job is being a Mom and My hobby is writing. Humor : "Due to budget cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off until further notice!" Registration date : 2009-03-04
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:35 pm | |
| I really need to pick up that writing book by Stephen King. I really want to read it but I should read the two I already have, Writing Down the Bones (which I used in one of my photography courses and LOVE) and Bird by Bird.
I'm actually very stunned at how controlled most other authors can be with their writing. But I can see why they set themselves time limits--too much time, you may get too distracted and get nothing done, or too little--you just get nothing done. Since I have a 3 year old, I stick to reading Shannon Hale's blog on how she handles her work as an author and her kids. She's an amazing person. | |
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*Moonlight_Mania* Still typing first draft
Number of posts : 203 Age : 30 Location : Skyway Avenue Job/hobbies : Occupation: Student. Hobbies: Writing (duh), playing around with Photoshop, and singing. Humor : Laughing at my spastic self Registration date : 2009-04-15
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:21 pm | |
| I usually don't have a lot of time to write (like I should be doing my project due TOMORROW that I'm only half-way finished with), so I set my priorities. Writing, sadly, usually comes after all of the boring stuff. ._.; But I can never write if I'm stressed out about what I SHOULD be doing. Then I'm not really concentrating on what I'm writing. I never set myself a time limit, because the time I use is just whatever is left in the day...which isn't a lot. | |
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emilycross The Boss of the Board
Number of posts : 1170 Age : 37 Registration date : 2009-02-05
| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me Sun May 03, 2009 4:59 am | |
| I;m the same Moonlight. All i'm doing at the moment is trying to finish this course i'm doing which is insanely intense with heavy workload. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL ITS DONE and i can even just 'think' of my novel without feeling guilty for not getting work done | |
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| Subject: Re: Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me | |
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| Yo ho, Yo ho, a Writer's Life for Me | |
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