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Wishing for a Little More Left-brained Moments
Posted on August 10, 2010 by admin in Uncategorized, writing.Now most of you know that I write by the seat of my pants. I’m extremely right brained, creativity runs amok through just about everything I do, and so when I come to a point in a story where it becomes predictable or my imagination seems to run dry, I panic.
It wasn’t until I started on The Secret of the Keepers that I envied writers that took a more pragmatic approach. The standard three act outline, graphically organized characters and settings, already written out expressions/reactions to plug into a scene … I just couldn’t see myself engaging in such left-brained antics, and yet, it’s times like these that I wish I would.
I’ll let you in on a little secret … I’m afraid to try it. What if I lose the creative drive that’s gotten me this far? What if I plot the thing out and it turns out predictable and shallow? What if I’m trying to fit a square peg into a round hole?
So I’ll stick to my guns, meander for a few thousand words in pointless conversation until someone says something that sparks the next surprise, and voila! We’re off to the races.
I’ve allowed myself at least a 50,000-word leeway to cut from the manuscript. There is a freedom in the first draft that gives me permission to participate in such rants. Initial creation is freeing, is it not?
Even though some would view this as wasted time, it works for me. I realize it’s not exactly an orthodox practice and so I’m taking some suggestions. How do you go about getting unstuck?
4 comments on “Wishing for a Little More Left-brained Moments”
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Well, what I did the other day with my story was just sit down and do it. Ok, well what I did was really try to get in the mindset/persona of my character whose POV I was writing from. I also made an appropriate playlist lol. Both seemed to help and once I got going, I was on a roll! Sometimes you just have to push through it. Or even working on something else writing-related can help too, I have found.
Ok, that’s my 2 cents worth! Hope it helps!
I’m right there with you, Beth. People often ask, “Do you outline your story?” My answer is consistently, “Not really.” I have the general idea of what I *want* to happen but not the path of getting there. To me that makes for a fun story. How can the reader be surprised if I’m not? That’s how I see it anyway! Keep being right brained and creative! It works masterfully for you!
Well firstly, it’s safe to say we’re both organic writers. (or even spiritually led) Stephen King calls being “organic” a writer who has the story deep within them. It’s like you’ve discovered something in an archeology dig and your writing process gently clears away what’s been buried by the settlement of time. Unveiling the story is a gentle uncovering of your character’s lives. It’s their story they’ve come to tell. They’re using you as the conduit. No amount of plotting and planning will help THEM speak. That’s something only your subconscious can channel.