Six years have passed between the beginning of my novel and my current scene and I can't help but write my MC alternately taking drags from his cigarette and eating bites of dry bread, all in the early-morning darkness of his living room. He's contemplating life while watching his partner, cozied up in bed, from the living room by the light of the bedroom television. This scene, nearly to a tee, happened to me not fifteen minutes ago. I often find myself acting in ways my characters would, as if I'm channeling them even when I'm not writing. I'd like to believe I'm not the only one. If you're ever found yourself doing something similar, share your experience.
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Midnight - 7AM drabbling : 2/6 days
Writing cubbyholes : 3
Most words in one sitting : 1596
Currently listening to : Portugal.The Man
17,044 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 08 56
The four main characters in my novel are based off of myself and three of my friends. I assigned different names to them, of course, but this is causing me a ton of confusion. Like, my boyfriend's name is Nik, but his character is named Milo. Not only have I written scenes calling him "Nik", but I have also called him "Milo" in real life. Same for Neil/Allen and Morgan/Emily.
I'm pretty sure they think I'm insane.
----------27,529 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 13 00
Just last week I went out to get a pack of cigarettes and a breakfast smoothie thing, and when I returned this bicyclist and motor-scooter crashed into each other on the curb. It all looked very silly and clumsy, not at all explosive like you'd expect, but the female motorist was really cringing and in a lot of pain. I wanted to run towards them to help them, but was somehow just standing there. Ultimately there were other people helping her up. I decided that it was best to give them some room, so I kept on walking. But while I did I started to feel a little bad about not rushing towards them. I'd like to think I'm the kind of person that helps someone after an accident, but apparently I'm not.
On the way home I couldn't help but notice this would suit my main character very well. So when I got home, I opened up Pages, I made Oliver walk through Central Park and I copied the entire scene, from the clumsy looking accident to him standing there, walking away and feeling bad about it. All fairiy dramatized of course.
So yeah!
----------I also ramble on Twitter (though sometimes in Dutch).
2008: Junior Boys (won)
2009: Guilt (...?)
45,500 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 14 40
In my last novel a number of scenes actually happened in real life.
I lived with a couple who were major stoneheads and they were really warped and one night the girl went ballistic and threatened to throw herself into the canal outside. We all stayed up with her and had to physically stop her from rushing out the door.
I just had to include it in my novel 'cause basically my novel was about how taking too much drugs messes you up.
In fact the girl was such an interesting person that I made her into a character. It is probably lazy on my part but the character is exactly like this girl; I didn't disguise her at all. She was a larger than life character and I couldnt have written anyone as good as her.
ALso the place I lived, basically an apartment block full of cokeheads and stoners and delinquents was so surreal that I had to make reference to some of the incidents that happened.
The Nano I'm working on now is a children's book (hopefully it will appeal to adults aswell!) and it is so refreshing because EVERYTHING is completely made up and from my imagination and it is very liberating. My last novel was fiction aswell but this book is moreso.
2,118 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 08 21
My entire novel (all 2000 words of it) seems to be a more interesting version of my life five months ago. I have yet to figure out how to stray from this beyond changing one persons gender and the characters names.
20,343 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 08 39
You can't write what you can't imagine.
You can only imagine from external sources.
In other words, everything you will write will have entered you at some point in your life. Your characters by definition are a result of endless influences, so everyone's personal life shapes the story to the smallest details.
Interesting, no?
----------A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction. - Oscar Wilde