I don’t know about other
writers, but to me it seems like being a writer is like speaking a foreign
language. I was always told, you know you can speak a foreign language when you begin thinking or
dreaming in that language. As a writer, I find that no matter how personal
a situation is I’m always thinking about how it might make a good story or a good
scene in a story. Of course, I alter things a little, 'to protect the innocent,' but the nucleus of the
story or the scene comes from something personal, emotional, or something that I've seen or overheard. I find
that absolutely fascinating because I do it all of the time. I’m always
thinking about writing. I find that fascinating, not just about myself but about other authors, as well. When I'm speaking with
an author and he/she asks me to repeat something that I've said that's really funny or poignant,
I know it’s because he/she wants to use it. Sometimes I’ll jokingly say, “Don’t
use that because I might want to use it in a story.” So, I know other authors are
always in tune to what’s going on and what’s being said around them, too. We're always thinking about writing, thinking in 'our language.'
Do you find that you do the
same thing? I'm convinced a lot of writers base tidbits of information in their stories on someone in their life; someone they met; or someone who
merely crossed their path. I was recently listening to NPR and I heard an
author say she based a character on either her mother or grandmother, but
because of her beliefs she wouldn't allow the character in the story to die
because the character was based on her loved one. She didn't want to
feel like she was influencing the life (or death) of her loved one. I get that.
Another thing that I do that
I think is interesting is, sometimes I’m more motivated by sadness to write than I
am by happiness. What is that about? My take on this is, perhaps because it’s so
cathartic to write that this is my way of releasing that sadness. Sometimes I write
about what has made me sad (or how I feel) or sometimes I’m just motivated to write, and
the final product could be about something that doesn't have anything to do
with what has made me sad or how sad I feel. I don’t know that I’m equally as motivated to write when I'm happy. Perhaps that’s because I want to hold on to the happiness, and just
keep it to myself. I don’t know. Of course, my writing isn't always motivated
by sadness. Sometimes I’m just excited about writing--getting back to a story to see what's going to happen. This is more often the
case. Sometimes a great scene pops into my head and I just want to
see where it goes. Often, I’m curious to see what direction the characters are going to take the story. It’s like I’m
reading the story for the first time (if you know what I mean).
My best thoughts come to me in the car, though, driving back and forth from Georgia
to Florida
Simpy TRB
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