Ever have an idea pop into your head and you think it's the most brilliant thing in the entire world? Jot it down, but wait to write the story. Personally, I don't even jot the idea down (and in the morning I'm super angry because that was pure gold, man. Pure gold!). I wait.
If it's something that sticks with me, something that won't get out of my head, the characters start to dance in front of me. I can see the guy on the lacrosse team who broke the heart of the girl who...(you get the idea). But it's not enough.
So I keep waiting.
At long last my narrator steps up to the plate, "We don’t know anything yet. I’ve been hearing this lie for the last six hours." (First line of My Sister's Memories). Sarah started talking to me when I ignored her for WEEKS. I'd started thinking about my NaNoWriMo project in October, but life got in the way, swallowed me, pushed me through a meat grinder...and writing took a back seat. But Sarah wasn't going away.
(On an ADD moment, I appologize that formatting has gotten messed up, I'm not quite sure how to fix it...)
Anyways, so Sarah. I went under a bridge during the move to Maine, and started thinking of what it would be like to not remember all of my favorite bridges, or how hard it would be for my sister to see me go through that. How did this happen?
Since I was driving, why not cause a car accident.
By the time I arrived in Maine, I had to find a place to live, get aquainted with the area, put in job applications. I still ignored Sarah until she started screaming in my ear. Until I knew Allie had survived the accident, but was in a coma. I knew her parents were dead.
And then I started writing.
So..my advice for this lovely day is to wait to write your masterpiece. Sometimes the longer you're able to ignore them, the louder they get.
I'm impatient so I never wait to write, but what usually ends up is I write hundreds of pages that I never use. (except to develop ideas and skills) I think both ways have their advantages, either plotting in your head or plotting on a page. But I wouldn't recommend my process to anyone who can't handle throwing away pages.
ReplyDeleteGreat point. I totally understand what you mean. Sometimes characters need time to take shape in your mind, to get to know them. Definitely good advice, though like Rachel, I do find it hard sometimes to wait. Usually though I take at least a couple weeks (if not more) to really try and feel out the story/personalities/events of the story.
ReplyDeleteHope you're having a good one,
Ninja Girl
I agree, I think this is why I'd never be able to do well with writing a book in a month. I need things to evolve in my imagination :)
ReplyDelete@Rachel, if I'm afraid of forgetting it, I'll kind of outline for a second. But, I do agree that both ways have their advantages :)
ReplyDelete@Ninja Girl, The more I mature as a writer, the longer I wait. Sometimes something will happen in the daily world that will revamp my character which is why I wait until she/he screams a tme :)
@Hope, Hahaha :) When I try to set deadlines, I word vomit, meet the deadline, and delete about 90% of the vomit :)
Banned complain !! Complaining only causes life and mind become more severe. Enjoy the rhythm of the problems faced. No matter ga life, not a problem not learn, so enjoy it :)
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