Category: philosophy

Emotional Impact

Do you ever go back and read your own stories and still feel the same impact as the first time you wrote it?

Is it a thing about the writer to move yourself to laughter or tears? Is that when you know you’ve hit your audience?

I sent a particular story to a friend – I told her I cried while I wrote it. She said she cried while reading it and I called us both hormonal. (Sorry, friend!) But if that same passage keeps moving me to tears, and others as well, perhaps it isn’t just the hormones.

Now how do I keep that up?

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Gone with the Wind

Oh, you have to love the classics. Some friends and I watched this movie yesterday (somehow, amid screaming children, one of which was mine). We watched the whole thing, including the intermission, credits, entrance and exit music. They just don’t make them like they used to.

We saw the huge sets and commented about how many actors they had to employ as extras for some of those scenes. How different when we can add them in by computer.

Still thinking about it – can’t wait until we see Scarlett.

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Miscellaneous

I play video games sometimes. They’re silly brainy games – Brain Age (1 and 2) and Big Brain Academy. One of them asked me to contemplate fictional objects. “Imagine a cat. Imagine a ladder. Now imagine a cat ladder. Was it furry?”

I guess it’s good for the brain to think about stuff like that. Imagine things that don’t exist (at least, not yet).

So is it good for the brain to create speculative fiction worlds? It seems like we’d have an advantage with all that.

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How to Write

The title of this book made me think. I’ll be reviewing it when I finish.

Do you think about the process you go through to write? It doesn’t usually seem simple. Every different type of writing has a different process – or does it?

Not that I’m often trying different types. Mostly I stick to fiction. Short stories and novels are similar enough. It’s just interesting to think of them all lumped together – fiction, nonfiction, essays, short stories, articles.

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Technology and Art

We watched Dilbert the series – the episode with the Blue Duck.

I love the stereotypes when shown in a humorous way. Engineers are not supposed to know about art. The appreciation of art is supposed to be beyond them.

Dogbert has the idea better than anyone. Tell people what they want and then sell it to them.

Do you ever wonder if it’s that easy with art? My character, Janie, from The Art of Science might be disappointed if it’s true.

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Conflict in Schedule

National League of American Pen Women has the state conference on the 19th of September. It’s unfortunate that’s when I’m appearing at the bookstore in Dubuque. It’s too far between both to travel, and we’ll probably be there early.

I volunteered to help with the presentation – to smooth wording and such before the day. I also will submit my picture, short bio, and some book information. It’ll be good exposure, but better if I could have been there.

Perhaps next year I’ll remember to take those things in account when scheduling. Still, my book should be the most important thing for my career. Always must remember that!

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Characterization

I started looking for a profile for my characters, because it’s an easy thing to do to fill in questions, when I realized it depends on the questions asked.

If I have a ‘critter’ from another world, she may not carry a purse or wallet. He may not wear clothing. It might not have the proper gender at all.

Which reminds me that I need to figure out questions more suited to the people I’m characterizing. Of course, it also brings to light other aspects – like if you’re working within a intergalactic community – what do they use for ID?

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Plotting

I managed to get my daughter  down for a long nap this afternoon. (She really needed it – she didn’t get a good one in the morning.) While I also caught up on my chores, I got out my notes from the novel project I abandoned a couple years ago. About three, but who’s counting?

I didn’t completely abandon it; I just realized about seven chapters in that I didn’t have enough of a background in the world and I’d written myself into a corner, plotwise. Setting it aside for a time put things in perspective and made me realize what I needed to make it more real for me.

I’ve done some sketches since then. I have a couple left to do, but the approach now is completely different. Sometimes I wonder if my friends are going to yell at me since it’s going through such a large change in focus. Sorry, but you’ll have to live! I might be on the right track this time. I still have things to work out, so it’ll be awhile.

It just feels so good to be going back to it.

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Podcasts aimed at Writers

See Lea Schizas’s post here.

I haven’t signed up for those yet. I am a fan of “I should be writing” by Mur Lafferty.

Speaking of writing, do you ever feel bogged down if you haven’t done something in awhile? My legs ache if I don’t exercise enough (I’m strange, I know). It’s an internal ache if I don’t write for awhile.

There are still characters in my head. There are still plots rambling around, begging to be written. I just need to sit down and do it.

So, today, I’m outlining. It’s a good place to start, and if and when I get called away by a little girl who needs something, well, I might remember where I left off a bit better.

That’s the hope. I am a writer, so I need to write every day. This blog doesn’t count for much in that direction, but it is the most consistent project I’ve managed since she was born. And while I do it, or perhaps after, I’m going to listen to these podcasts and see if something sinks in.

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Focus

It helps to have a list of goals in front of you to accomplish. I’m still working on this list. Do you think about what’s important, or do you let yourself get bogged down and distracted by the little things?

My excuse for not getting back in gear is a 3 month old who scoots across the floor. She isn’t going very far yet, but just that she’s going somewhere keeps me on my toes. “I left you over there, child!”

So I’m working on a list of things to accomplish. I think it’ll be more realistic now that I understand how much she needs from me.

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