Cari wrote about her character’s soundtrack – her favorite songs and albums, which have less to do with Cari’s taste than her character’s. I’m digging that, hard. I’m terrified to write to music, lest the sound and mood of an individual song prompt one of my characters into a swan dive of an emotion I won’t be able to drag her out of.
But isn’t that the point?
I think my biggest weakness in writing has always been an element of fear that I just can’t seem to get over, around, under. I KNOW my writing is tight – that I’m not addressing the deepest, rawest emotional level that my characters can have. It’s surfacey. And when I dive below that surface, I pop up quickly, gasping for breath. Never quite sure I’m authorized to write about the scary stuff. Not sure I have the security clearance for it, and even if I did, I’d need it in writing, a little badge – “Cleared for reality,” with all the relevant signatures attached. I can’t even SEE the scary stuff sometimes for all the fluff I keep bobbing around on top.
Now I have an image of a really dirty, foamy sea, and that’s not the metaphor I was aiming for. Well, I wasn’t aiming for one, but this is what I got. I’m going to leave it alone and do my writing and just let myself feel it. That’s all I really need to do. And be unafraid. (It’s hard, isn’t it?)
For your weekend, I give you Adah playing with her favorite toy under Her Chair:
And this, which captured a rare daytime snuggle with the Boy:
How happy am I? Reading blogs to the right, Digit on my lap, my Noro knitting to my left, and you can see I’m wearing my ducky p.j.s again, as well as my LoTech Sweat. Happy day.
To Whom It May Concern,
Rachael has my permission to write about
the scary stuff. Please excuse her from
mundane duties today as she will be feeling
a bit dizzy.
Danger Girl
Go on, write it out. You can always trash it later if it
is drivel. Take the leap, do some cliff diving. It is good for the soul..you’ll just need a good chiropractor when you are my age (grin).
for what its worth, my characters sometimes have their own soundtracks as well. i don’t write to music all the time, but certain movie soundtracks put me right in the mood, especially when i’m writing science fiction.
Woah! I’m so honored that you’re making my pattern!!!
It looks so good, too! I can’t wait to see how it comes out!
Your wave shawl is fabulous, I can see how it would inspire many elaborate dreams.
AWWWWWWWW at kitty hugs…
That freefall is the hardest part, lady. That’s what makes this art stuff so scary. That’s also why my best writing happens when I don’t let myself think too much. 😉 If your characters go over the edge because you let them have a little music, you can reel them back in in revisions… Let ’em dance!
That said, since I do EVERYTHING to music, this wasn’t as risky or bold a move for me as it may seem. Emotions I got. Action? Now that’s another story. I have a hard time letting anything actually happen.
Now you’ve got me very curious about these characters. These human snakes- in- a- can. Although I wouldn’t dispute the value of free-fall writing — without any inhibitions or judgements, I also see great value in the understated character. All it really takes is surface descriptions and a brief mention of the darkness that lurks within and my mind does the rest.
I hope you’ll keep writing about writing so I can keep reading about writing about writing.
Have you read Art and Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland? I’m about to reread it. It perfectly captures all the crazy stuff that surrounds the desire to create.
I [heart] your kitties!!
Just catching up…and ditto-ing the support and encouragement. Just feeling it *is* so hard; allowing myself to write the way I want to write has been one of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome. Breathe, stretch, jump up and down, and remember that no one has to see this until you’re ready.
But I can’t wait.