I love this. I have a similar experience, especially with dialogue. My characters start talking, and I record what they're saying. Many folks say dialogue is what they struggle with most, but I love it. I did a lot of theater in my twenties and thirties, so that might be why I hear dialogue so clearly. After the first draft, I have to go…
I love this. I have a similar experience, especially with dialogue. My characters start talking, and I record what they're saying. Many folks say dialogue is what they struggle with most, but I love it. I did a lot of theater in my twenties and thirties, so that might be why I hear dialogue so clearly. After the first draft, I have to go back and cut out stuff that's redundant or unneeded, but it's usually pretty tight upon the first draft.
I've also had that experience that you describe as something happening that you don't understand. I believe that's the subconscious at work on the page. It's "being in flow." I've had characters that I wasn't expecting just walk into a room. Not all of those surprises from the subconscious work, but many of them do, and it's kind of magical.
It's wonderful to be surprised. I like your experience of having a character just walk in and join the conversation. Inspiration takes many forms, and yes, some people are more inclined to hearing and others to seeing the scenes play out. My muse seems to direct the story and when the story is really inhabiting me, even when I’m revising, I’ll know I need to do something a bit differently and I’ll change it accordingly. It’s also the knowing. I’ll simply know something about a character or a scene. The creative process definitely calls for deep listening and trust. Trust in the voices and inspirations. I also agree with the comment that ideas sometimes need expression. I can imagine those ideas somehow floating around in the air and taking possession of my fingers as I tap, tap, tap the keyboard. The art of storytelling is like none other. And this is why people have been telling stories since we became homo sapiens, or maybe even earlier in our seemingly timeless lineage. We walk in the footprints of our ancestors.
I love this. I have a similar experience, especially with dialogue. My characters start talking, and I record what they're saying. Many folks say dialogue is what they struggle with most, but I love it. I did a lot of theater in my twenties and thirties, so that might be why I hear dialogue so clearly. After the first draft, I have to go back and cut out stuff that's redundant or unneeded, but it's usually pretty tight upon the first draft.
I've also had that experience that you describe as something happening that you don't understand. I believe that's the subconscious at work on the page. It's "being in flow." I've had characters that I wasn't expecting just walk into a room. Not all of those surprises from the subconscious work, but many of them do, and it's kind of magical.
It's wonderful to be surprised. I like your experience of having a character just walk in and join the conversation. Inspiration takes many forms, and yes, some people are more inclined to hearing and others to seeing the scenes play out. My muse seems to direct the story and when the story is really inhabiting me, even when I’m revising, I’ll know I need to do something a bit differently and I’ll change it accordingly. It’s also the knowing. I’ll simply know something about a character or a scene. The creative process definitely calls for deep listening and trust. Trust in the voices and inspirations. I also agree with the comment that ideas sometimes need expression. I can imagine those ideas somehow floating around in the air and taking possession of my fingers as I tap, tap, tap the keyboard. The art of storytelling is like none other. And this is why people have been telling stories since we became homo sapiens, or maybe even earlier in our seemingly timeless lineage. We walk in the footprints of our ancestors.