Sunday, March 27, 2011

Talk it Out

Friday night was really an eye-opening night for both myself and the book. I had been spending a lot of my free time wondering what kind of climactic moments I wanted to add to the book in the upcoming chapters. While I really could have come up with these things all on my own, I like to bounce ideas off my fiance to see what his take is on them and to see what kinds of things he likes to see out of a story. The reason I do this with someone who is just a reader instead of a writer is that a reader knows the kinds of things they love about a story and what keeps them reading a book or buying the next in a series while a writer thinks more about setting, description, and tension. Also, I am always left wondering about motive with other writers, as sad as that sounds. I have to wonder why they gave me that idea... do they truly want me to succeed? Was the idea their own and it failed at one point? Are they sabotaging me? Are they going to hate me if the idea they gave me was a success and I wasn't sure to mention them in the credits? Too much paranoia. Too much to worry about.

I feel that everyone should have an "idea guy". Someone that you can talk bones with. Someone who doesn't know much about what you are writing that can give you some of their unbiased thoughts on what it is you are writing. Yes, I know that my fiance does have a bit of a bias because he wants me to succeed, but that is the best kind of bias you can find in an "idea guy". As far as the book goes, though, he is unbiased. He has no personal connection with the characters, and therefore doesn't really care what happens to them. He can be completely unrestrained with his ideas and I can be the one to take that idea and bridle it a bit. And there's no hurt feelings on his part if I take his idea and change it all around. I can tell him "that's not going to work because (this event) happens" and he just tries to come up with something else. I don't even have to use a single one of his ideas, and he doesn't get mad. I can get perspective with my "idea guy" by telling him what's going on in a story and asking him what he thinks of it and he has no problem telling me when he thinks something is overdone, or underdone in a story. I like that.

Do you have someone in your life that you consider an "idea guy"? Someone you feel completely comfortable sharing your story with that can give you ideas without giving you criticism? I hope this finds you well, fellow writers!

2 comments:

  1. Naomi, I just don't get the benefit of talking about writing. Write and sift, again and again. Lonely but perhaps freeing. I'm not sure really but just write and then write some more and sift some more. I like your intensity. Try this. I'll drop back by often.

    http://thebookofcletis.blogspot.com/2011/01/creative-sunday-7-cutlery.html

    http://thebookofcletis.blogspot.com/2011/02/creative-sunday-9-breakthrough.html

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  2. Thanks for the comment Cletis! I liked your creative writing quite a lot. I suppose that everyone's writing process is different, this is just works for me when I get stuck. It's nice just to have the fresh perspective though, like you, I tend to just write and sift. Great to have you interested. :D

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