The sex appeal of getting into other minds

[Stacy]

Haha, it was hard to come up with a title to fit into the subject box. I wanted "the incredible sexiness of the word 'I'" or something like that, but then that would have required a subtitle explaining that it wasn't about egotism. Although we can certainly talk about that in another thread.

I've been meaning to talk about this for a while, but then Meowzbark brought up Being John Malkovich and I was like whoooa and that motivated me to go ahead and write the post.

I don't know how to explain it, but I'll try. Finding words to describe ideas and feelings is supposed to be what I'm good at, after all.

First, you should know that sometimes I ask John if he's ever wanted to turn into a tiny round thing and go up people's noses and into their brains and ride around and see what it's like to be them while still being yourself.

He's never answered - he just looks at me weird and laughs, lol.

You guys are writers too though, so you should get it.

It's like - like when I'm listening to songs and the singer is all "I blah blah blah" and it's just like I want to crawl up into them, to see what it's like to be them.

I still don't think I'm explaining it. It's like this...absolute yearning. Like - it's like another person's selfhood is...oh man, I can't find words that don't look like I'm a creepy dude talking about a girl's virginity, lol.

I suppose this explains why I write the way I write, eh? Third person so deep it's like you're a tiny round thing inside Seth's brain.

Does anyone else feel this, or am I just crazy?

[thelunarfox]

No, definitely not crazy. I feel this way too. It's probably part of why I like to get people to tell me their stories and I get sad at the thought of all the great stories people have that never get told for various reasons and then when they pass away, those stories will disappear.

I think stories are the closest to getting inside another's head. It's probably why I like the first person view, though I seem to switch to third person when I feel less secure that I can accurately portray a character.

[simslia]

I get sad at the idea of lost stories too. I think of the people I meet everyday at my job - I work in a rather unique retail environment where we have something for everyone (stores are only in Ontario so I'm guessing nobody would know what it is if I tried to explain it) and I get the most incredible people there.

Like this old Portuguese woman who has lost all of her family members in 6 months, but comes in every week, 45 minutes by bus, to buy a Buddha token and to "take some of the young energy" with her. I want to know what makes her so resilient and how she is so positive when she is the oldest member of her family and is now responsible for 10 people under the age of 10.

I love hearing stories and I make sure to write all mine down, in case someday they are lost.

[meowzbark]

***minor SPOILERS for the chapter I just posted


The hardest thing to do when writing inside someone's head is convince the reader that what goes on inside the mind of the narrator is not neccessarily what's happening in the outside world.

On the other hand, impossible things are more easily believed when the story is based on someone's perception and not truth. My current narrator is insane and dramatic. Her perception of reality is over-exaggerated and twisted. What she sees and feels are not neccessarily truth. All the reader experiences is how she sees herself.

If the story were told at a distance and there was only facts for the reader to make judgement on the character, I doubt they'd be sympathetic to most of my sims.

My recent chapter includes a glimpse into the persona of my villian. Before now, he's only had a line or two for the reader to make judgement on him, which is funny considering I've written so many pages of backstory. I have entire conversations between him and Akiho. I know what those two ghosts think of every situation that has ever happened in the legacy. I know why he does what he does and I'd love to dedicate an entire chapter from his point of view. That...though, would ruin the ending of my legacy.

Writing Blasius is my guilty pleasure.

[dbloveshermac]

These musings remind me of the song "UMF" by Duran Duran. It's all about the thread title.

One of the things that I like about writing is living a different life for a while through a character. There's not enough life to live thoroughly as more than one person, so writing other realities is the next best thing.

And I think I'd rather go through the ear than the nose, please.