Tuesday, June 21, 2011

My writing process is mostly...full of cake.

Anonymous reader here! :) I love your blog.

I have...I guess a post-request? I have been having writer's block, and it always helps me to know about other writers' processes - like, where they write, what time of day they do it, if there are any habits that help them, etc.

If you ever have the spare time, I'd be really excited if you'd post about your writing process. Thanks :)


Hello anonymous!! You're a wonderful person. I know this because you use the :) smiley, and anybody who uses that is a 100% bonafide AWESOME PERSON in my book. But seriously, I like your question. I like it lots, and I'm gonna try my best to give you an equally likeable answer!

Obviously, every writer is completely different. Our styles are different, the genres we choose to tackle vary, and that's only the start! What works for me might not work for you, but gosh darn it I sure hope it does.


















In all seriousness, I'm the type of writer who likes to sit at the computer for three or four weeks and frenzy out a really, REALLY rough draft skeleton thing. I take one or two months to revise that skeleton. I've finished two books in this fashion, so it's worked out pretty well for me! If you're slower, that's awesome too!

If you wanna get in the mood to write, the most essential bit is MUSIC. Put on some jams you adore out the whazoo. Make a little playlist of songs you NEVER get tired of listening to, freshen it up with some new things you like, etc. Hit 'loop' and think about the scene you're writing as if it were a movie, with that music in the background. My favorite guilty pleasure (and loltastic nerdgasm habit) is to put some very epic trailer music, such as from 300 or Inception, and imagine my book, my characters, my plot being weaved through that music as though it were a movie. It gets me pumped to keep writing the book itself!




















Music helps the creative juices to flow. Picture various action-y or other important scenes in your book playing to music. You might find new inspiration!

Another method of breaking writer's block in half like a boss is to become extremely attached to your characters. I do this a lot, because my characters are lovely and very real to me. Sometimes I hold conversations with them. It takes a lot of work to have a one-sided conversation, but if you pose them normal questions, it challenges your brain to come up with a correct response that would fit their personality. This can help you love them more/want to spend more time with them and will give you vital clues as to how to write them better!



















Keep in mind, doing this in public might get you arrested! But, seriously, try it out right before you go to bed at night, when it is most quiet and easy to imagine things. It's almost meditative, and it's worked wonders for me.


The last resort I usually reserve for the VERY HARDEST of times is to bake. BAKE BAKE BAKE. For you this might be different - a mindless task that is completely NOT writing at all can help you gain perspective. Weeding, painting, going for a walk. All are totally legit and can really aid you when you need to step back from the work and see if you're being a nutcase about it.



Above all, what motivates me to write is the realization that I'm not getting any younger. Time is awastin'! I want to share those stories and help people like books helped me. Do all you can whenever you can, try your hardest every second. A lot of the time, that means forcing yourself to write when you don't want to. Do that. Don't let anything defeat you or slow you down, ever. YOU are making your own success or failure entirely. So fight hard and fight long!

PS. Caffiene and sugar are magic pick-me-ups!!

PPS. Stay in school

PPPS. When you get famous, don't forget me.

PPPPS.


















Love,

Michelle

6 comments:

  1. Umm, did you delete my comment? I know I posted a comment on this today?

    huh. I'll try again. Love this post and the sketches were so awesome and funny. Did you draw them yourself? Are you a sketch artist on top of all your other talents??

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  2. Thank you so much for responding to my question! This was very helpful and inspiring. I got so excited after reading it that I whipped out 2k. :)

    If I may ask, who are some of the music artists that help you write? I think you mentioned listening to rap in one of your older posts, and the only rap artist I know at all is Kanye - XD. Do you have any recommendations?

    Thank you so much again! It's so nice to be replied to so enthusiastically. :D

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  3. Goddammit I love you.

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  4. "Put on some jams you adore out the whazoo."

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  5. Mel - Nope! Didn't delete any comments! I think blogspot is just being a jerk. But yes! I did draw those myself. Back in middle school I was hardcore into anime and drew it a lot, so yeah! Thanks again lovely.

    Anon - Whooo! Awesome! 2k is definetly a lot of words. Glad I could help.

    A few artists just off the bat are Lupe Fiasco, Biggie Smalls, anything by the Wu-Tang Clan. Mostly the beats are what help me write, so you might also wanna check out dubstep, specfically the UFK stuff (though there are tons of good dubsteps not UFK, I just haven't found those yet.) Kanye's old stuff is great, and his song Diamonds (Ratatat remix) is quite possibly the song that inspired me to write a whole book.

    I also tend to write lots when deadmau5, Ratatat, or Daft Punk is playing. Ratatat does a lot of great rap remixes too, check those out.

    And please feel free to ask any questions any time!! My email is also in my profile. :)

    Reader - NO I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

    Kate - Put that shit on a shirt and sell it yo.

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  6. I wrote my novels and short stories late at night, mostly, when no one is around to make noise.. when I get tired, I lie down for 20 minutes and then get back up and write more because I just can't stand stopping. This, after 3 years, has given me a semi-permanent headache. Not recommended haha. Revising is the most important part. Over and over again if necessary.

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