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To better understand my fellow writers, I just wanted to know how writing has influenced your lives?
For me, I have become an obsessive-compulsive liar. For example, I could be at a place after hours and have every right to be there, but all the while I am inventing a cover story for why am there, in case someone asks because I think my story (that I belong at the place) is too dull.
posted
I'm not sure if this is how writing influenced me, or how my personality influenced me to start writing, but either way... I sometimes find myself thinking in narrative form, like I'm writing a book about my life in my head. Sometimes it's first person, sometimes third. Also, I tend to turn situations in my life into similar fantasy or scifi situations.
Posts: 19 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
The thing I notice the most is that I try to second guess everything. Why is someone doing that? What could happen next? What could go wrong here and how?
I used to just do this when I was watching tv or a movie, but I find myself doing it in real life as well.
posted
I'm a lot rougher on other people's writing. My auto-editor tends to read a sentence and think, now please, you could do better; that was just awkward. This happens almost no matter what I'm reading. It happens even worse when I reread my own writing, even just a sentence in my journal.
I also find that I'm less of a compulsive liar. When I was younger I would make up stories just to make my life sound more interesting. That only rarely happens now, since all the crazy things I think up go into my stories (and I tend to have more crazy things actually happen so there is no need to make them up).
Jon
[This message has been edited by Jon Roberts (edited August 24, 2005).]
posted
I'm like Elemeno...I narrate my own life as I go about my day: "She stooped to pick up the sponge, and the thick odor of chlorine assaulted her nose. How she hated scrubbing bathtubs! But there was nothing for it. She knelt down, held her breath, and ignoring the pain in her back, began to scrub..."
If I've been listening to a book on tape, the voice in my head also sounds like that narrator...has anyone else had an old British man talking in their head for several days in a row? It's kinda creepy...
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Often, it makes me feel bad about myself, because I don't always write when I should be.
Bad writer! Bad, bad writer!
Other than that, I find myself either playing the "if" game (what if that had gone differently? What if he'd said this instead of that? What if...?), or I'm finding ways to improve something I've seen or read or heard. Surfing the net, I mentally correct bad grammar (I stopped really doing it a long time ago; makes me sound like a pompous nerd). I find ways to incorporate things I see or hear or feel into my stories (how would Ethan have handled this? What would Carol have said?), or I'm just inspired by something, and I want to write like it's the most important thing on earth.
quote:If I've been listening to a book on tape, the voice in my head also sounds like that narrator...has anyone else had an old British man talking in their head for several days in a row? It's kinda creepy...
Pay no attention to the man behind the cerebellum!
posted
I have become a pickier reader. I used to be able to enjoy almost any book printed, now I wonder what kind of people are paying hard earned money to support some of the hacks out there. Also, I narrate various things in my life, 3rd or 1st person. Sometimes I even pretend I can narrate a gathering in Omni and not always in my own accent/voice. The worse was when I decided to do write the narration I had come up with while doing laundry. Most commonly I will try to describe the pretty sunset or beautiful day to myself in a way that would work in writing. I also try to make sense out of why people do the things they do, but I've done that since I was a kid studying psychology. I do find that I spend more time trying to imagine what it was like during whatever big news story is on TV. What people were thinking, how they felt, what smells/sights/sounds did they experience... At some point I end up with a hero type character and a full blown daydream. One drawback to deciding to become a writer, I don't want to leave the house and my computer, not for work, not for shopping, not for visiting with friends.
Posts: 233 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I find myself narrating my life a lot. I like listening to music, and find myself leaving the music playing (which drives my wife nuts) as I walk out of the house; sort of a soundtrack for my life. Stories just seem to pop into my head about random stuff. I'll make up backstories for people I see on the street, or riding the ferry boat next to me...they're everywhere. Although most end up dumb and not worth remembering. Although it's not like I have choice. I have the worst memeory in the world, so even if I wanted to remember these stories, they seem to evaporate regardless.
Posts: 22 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I guess that's doesn't really answer the initial question posted though. I have always loved books. Whether I'm reading something terrible and feel spurred on to write something better, or am lost in someone else's imagination, the printed word can capture glimpses of life like nothing else. Science fiction, especially. Sittign down with a new book and opening it up, starting to unravel a brand new world, that's my favourite. Posts: 22 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I've become more more critical in my reading and viewing, and more likely to accept people without preconceptions. That last was rather startling to me, but I find myself more aware of people as people, and not stereotypes. I watch them even more closely now than ever before, and find myself cataloguing their foibles, for later use in my writing.
Posts: 2710 | Registered: Jul 2004
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I have found that the more I learn from you folks, and then try to improve, the more humbled I feel. Now I'm well aware that I know zilch about good writing!
Oh, and I appreciate excellent books more and more.
posted
I'm in the same boat with everyone who narrates their daily lives to make it seem more interesting: "She picked up the magazine and perused through the pages in hopes of finding something interesting..."
It's rather sad actually.
Also, I'm constantly making up stories on the spurr of the moment, inspired by the most uninspiring things. Like tissue paper for lack of a better example. I'll be so absorbed in this story that I've suddenly conjured up, that I'll forget entirely that people are talking to me. When I do remember, I'll just nod my head and pretend that I was paying attention the whole time.
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I spend a considerable amount of time walking around the house speaking for my characters, working through scenes and dialogue--out loud, of course.
My kids look at me strange, so I guess things haven't changed all that much.
posted
Well, I tend to act out scenes, but I try to do this only when I have no fear of being seen. 'cause there's no effective lie you can tell to make you look like less of a nut when your roommate walks in on you having a very intense conversation with someone who isn't there.
I don't narrate my own life, but I do narrate the lives of others. If I just see someone who looks atleast mildly interesting eating lunch or walking down the street, I start to think of where they're going, why they're going there, why that troubled or happy look is on their face, and so on.
I also tend to get ideas for stories, then forget about whatever else I'm doing while my mind is busy delving deeper into the concept.
posted
Hey, there, Dakota! I've been hanging around. Posting now and then... (Trying not to embarrass myself too terribly. )
My kids still love for me to read "Doris' Day" out loud to them. I wish I were an artist and I'd try to illustrate it. It's one I'd buy in a heartbeat!
Oh, and congrats on going to Bootcamp! Sounds like you guys had a blast!
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In my head, my internal monologue sounds like a chaotic cross between Denis Leary, George Carlin and Conan O'Brien. It's weird, it's wild, and it's a lot of what makes up my personality.
I used to try to write seriously straight science fiction, but if I don't throw humor into it here and there, it's just too tense and adult for me to care about for long.
Then-again, there are the stories I set aside solely for that purpose, to keep it from completely drowning my more "serious" stories.
posted
I'm with Mike about having become a more critical reader. It's spoiled some books and authors that I used to like, because I can now see the mistakes that they are making. But fortunately, it means that I enjoy some books and authors even more, because I can really appreciate the artistry that went into their work.
As for spare time and all that, I didn't really have any of that to begin with, so it's no loss, right?
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