How do you do this WRITING THING?

[frahse]

Originally Posted by morriss003

I hardly remember a time when I did not have a story to tell. I wrote my first two books when I was thirteen or fourteen. One was a SF and one was a western. Of course they were childish hormonal fantasies. But since then, more stories than I will ever write have floated through my head. Some have been entirely forgotten, I'm sure,and some will probably never be written. I probably will never get to "The Werewolves of Antarctica."
Some stories develop into worlds of their own. Really, I'm bewildered by the concept of inspiration. How can you be inspired? Aren't these people in your brain demanding to get out?
In the quiet of the night, when sleep is fleeting, I listen to them telling me their tales. Jara Mackenzie was explaining just the other night how Baylispli Tyre warned her that the banker might not be the altruistic sort. It was that warning, she said, that cause her to omit any reference to Bayli or to her brother Davud, and to listen to Racer when he noticed the two security men at the front of the lobby. So when she was forced to submit to the Family Intercession Agency, at least her brother was safe on the Lugging Nut.

Nice to have you here morriss003. At night I sometimes lay awake too. Tonight I gave up and am working. How can one stop? O.K. one can take a break and blog. Also I got around to sending a friend a St Louis Cardinals 2011 World Champions present, from My Friend and Associate, Amazon who also never sleeps.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I'm so outta here.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by frahse

I hope that you feel that you are learning something from this discussion. Personally I am learning a lot.

I'm sure you are Glad we could help you figure out what inspiration actually is. Now stop being condescending and contribute by telling us what you've learned.

[frahse]

Everyone finished on the topic INSPIRATION?

(I do understand that a lot of time is being spent on the contest.)

Has anyone studied post #27, and realized the pattern?
It is something a writer must be sensitive to.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

How are you defining Inspiration?

Depends on what you write, eh?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

I'm sure you are Glad we could help you figure out what inspiration actually is. Now stop being condescending and contribute by telling us what you've learned.

This.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

I'm so outta here.

Well, I can' certainly understand. I do think the topic itself is a good one and we can all share insights and information. In fact that's what this whole subforum is about eh.

I particularly appreciate and value your insight Steven. Thank you.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by frahse

Everyone finished on the topic INSPIRATION?

(I do understand that a lot of time is being spent on the contest.)

Has anyone studied post #27, and realized the pattern?
It is something a writer must be sensitive to.

No, I was going to discuss muses and fickleness of them.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by frahse

Now fellow contributors I will say that one of the most important things an author must do is to be observant, and find and show patterns in life and events as well as discordant events interrupting those patterns. That is what draws the readers attention like, "What the heck is going on?"

So what is the pattern in the above comments I have quoted? How do they relate to the thread?

I really don't like being addressed in this manner. We are here to interact and discuss topics, we are not here to be addressed in a condescending manner by someone who's title is "occasional author." Please lose the attitude and discuss the topic if you'd like to continue. We're all in this together and are all writers to some extend or we wouldn't be in this subforum, many much more experiences than yourself from what I see - including me and I haven't written shit in 20 years.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Why do I feel like I am being given a lecture, thinly disguised as an attempt to provoke discussion..?

If you want to take on the role of teacher, you need to prove credentials before we move any further.

This!

See my comments above.

[kennyc]

So, the topic is "How do you do this Writing Thing?"

From what I've learned there are almost as many ways as there are writers. Some must have inspiration (as has been discussed)

Some need a title.
Some need a visual image.
Some need an emotion.

Some can only write when the are "inspired" - others take a workmanlike approach and crank out the words.

....

How do we do it? Many ways, I'd say. What is YOUR way?

[dadioflex]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

I already defined inspiration, so I'll describe it's impact on me.

I come from the Craftsman's school of writing: I write because I can, I enjoy it, and I've honed my work until I'm pretty good at it.

I don't need "inspiration" in order to write. I just need to want to write, and to have something to write about. I don't need "inspiration" to give me a story to write. I just need to sit down, think of an idea or two, spend some time researching and developing the idea, and outline what I intend to do with it.

There are any number of writers who are familiar with this school, especially those who are called on to write periodical content on a regular basis, and quite a number who write novel-length works for a living. I'm sure some would say that, without "inspiration," their works are lacking, they are not art; I draw no such distinction.

Writing can exist without inspiration; it can be driven, instead, by "assignment," as in, "I want to write about this," or, "they told me to write that." A Craftsman should be able to do their best work on any assignment that is within their capabilities to handle. And that work can still be art, if their work is good enough to be considered by that special and nebulous moniker.

I've been reading down this thread, got to here and I don't think I need to go on.

A lot of old school pulp was written, absent inspiration, by authors who were so steeped in the background to their genre that they could construct endless deviations on a theme. And their readers were perfectly happy with that.

As an exercise it would be interesting to see how good a novel could be created using only stock situations and generic dialogue.

Hmm. That may even be the future of novels, when the machines take over.

Anyway, peace out. SLJ /thread

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by frahse

Has anyone studied post #27, and realized the pattern?
It is something a writer must be sensitive to.

Writers must be good at pattern recognition? Why?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by dadioflex

I've been reading down this thread, got to here and I don't think I need to go on.

A lot of old school pulp was written, absent inspiration, by authors who were so steeped in the background to their genre that they could construct endless deviations on a theme. And their readers were perfectly happy with that.

As an exercise it would be interesting to see how good a novel could be created using only stock situations and generic dialogue.

Hmm. That may even be the future of novels, when the machines take over.

Anyway, peace out. SLJ /thread

I'm sure Steven can speak for himself but I really don't think you have gleaned what he means.

[M T McGuire]

When you say 'inspiraton' do you mean putting stuff in? I listen to music, watch telly and read other books. After a while, something quirky rises from the murky depths of my brain and I write it down (getting stuff out). If I don't put enough stuff in, nothing comes out. If I put too much stuff in, I go insane (because my time to write is limited to about 3 hours a week). If I get tired or down no amount of input will result in any output.

When I'm reasonably on song, I just play some music and write down what I see. That's usually all it takes to write the next scene or start something off.

Cheers

MTM