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Post by Stacy on Oct 11, 2009 12:26:31 GMT -5
I admit, I'm stealing this straight from Orikes. She posted this video on her LJ. Creativity and GeniusIt's a lecture by Elizabeth Gilbert. Here's a copy and paste of my response. I noticed a while ago that I started talking about Valley as a person. Honestly it's a sacred word to me now and I get chills even when I see it in other contexts. If I'm stuck I say that Valley will show me the way, that I trust Valley. I talk about not knowing how the story goes myself and seeing what Valley wants to do with the next update. Rotten is the only one I've had trouble with so far, and I did my job until Valley showed up and took over my fingers and rewrote it all. And Valley is not a struggle. Oh no. Valley is absolute joy. Absolute all consuming universal forever and ever amen JOY. Except when I think about publishing the epilogue. Then I cry a lot. But well - even in those tears there's joy. There's the hope and promise of the non-Sims version, of years spent this way. Of dedicating my life to this. Valley. It is indeed a sacred word. I don't see myself as merely a conduit for it though. I don't think that anyone else could write it, because they're not me. Their words wouldn't be the same. They wouldn't be drawing on the same personal memories and emotions and associations. They would be a vessel of a different shape. Everything is all things. It can be its own external entity and it can come from you. Valley can be this sacred Other and it can also be me. Maybe I am only a vessel, but that means that I give it its form.
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Post by thelunarfox on Oct 11, 2009 13:13:58 GMT -5
I have to say that I am in awe of your relationship with your story. Because that's really what it is-- not like boyfriend girl friend or mother child. It's a complex relationship that I think is tough to understand for a majority of people.
Oh this is a great discussion topic. I've given this a lot of thought myself, personally.
When I was in high school, I used to say I wanted to be a writer. I spent all of my time writing for fun until my own characters and their world became a separate entity. Sitting down at the computer became like my zen meditation. I'd work for hours without getting tired, sit back and then be surprised at what I'd written. I'd get so into it, I'd actually not remember writing the words which were in front of me. And I did that on a continual basis.
The problem was of course fear. At the time, I was so busy wanting to be a writer, that after a while I feared never being able to accomplish it. The other part was that after a while it simply became something so close to me, I couldn't share it. I wouldn't be able to do it justice, and what I had was horrible, so instead of continuing to work on it, I put it away.
For ten years!
I really think she is on to something. In college, right after I had abandoned my story, I met this guy in a class who would carry his guitar in its case to class every day. We were partnered together for one of those introductory exercises where you have to introduce your partner. But I think it was a little late in the class because I remember everyone was already talking about him being the musician. The teacher even called him the musician of the class.
When I asked him, "So you're a musician?" I remember he said, (quite humbly I might add), "Well, I prefer to say I play music. It isn't what I am, it's just what I do."
And I pretty much stewed on that for years before I tried writing again. Now I remind myself, "You're not a writer, it's just what you do. And you like it, so just have fun." Because honestly, there will always be someone better, right? No matter how good you are. And some people won't like what you write anyway, just because it's not something they enjoy.
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Post by dbloveshermac on Oct 14, 2009 20:01:58 GMT -5
And I pretty much stewed on that for years before I tried writing again. Now I remind myself, "You're not a writer, it's just what you do. And you like it, so just have fun." Because honestly, there will always be someone better, right? No matter how good you are. And some people won't like what you write anyway, just because it's not something they enjoy. That is powerful. Thank you for sharing that, and I hope you won't mind if I quote you to myself from time to time. I've always been kind of a private person and sometimes have a tough time gauging how much of myself I want to let through the writing filter. How much is good and vital? How much might taint the story? For example, right now I'm kind of in a down mood. I'm in the very unusual situation of actually having a couple of hours free to write my legacy, and actually have material to write about, but I hesitate to write it in my current mood. I'm afraid it won't be as good as it should be, and then it will be OUT THERE. Am I crazy? Can anyone else relate to this?
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Post by thelunarfox on Oct 14, 2009 20:19:08 GMT -5
No, never crazy. I'm in the same place with my TS2 story/series. There have been times I look back and really hate what I've done, and it's out there now, so I can't take it back. But in a way, I think it's been beneficial for me just to keep working through it, to not let myself give up. Even if I'm not known for being a great writer, at least I'm pretty consistent. ;D Now I'm going to pass on a bit of wisdom from Carnaxa recently, that inspired me to actually update and to decide to do it regularly. She said on her blog that she'd given it some thought, and figured that series writing (I'd consider legacy writing as series) was very similar to block writing. "You ’show up’ every day, you write and then you do it all over again. Eventually, it becomes an automatic thing. You write, even when you’re not inspired. It’s a discipline of a sort." So thanks, Carnaxa, for the insinpiration.
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Post by girlyesterday on Oct 14, 2009 20:57:02 GMT -5
DB, you're not crazy at all. I remember a quote by a writer (the name escapes me) in which he states that we often either knowingly or inadvertently put ourselves in our writing, no matter which way we look at it. Our beliefs, our view of the world, our feelings on certain topics tend to come through in our writing and most times, it's not done intentionally but it's what makes us who we are and that comes across in what we put out there.
In regards to your current mood, I say use it. I've found some of my best works are drawn from the times that I feel strong emotion whether it be anger, despair, joy, uncertainity. I look at moods as fuel for the muse. Big, explosive fuel that can have some very unexpected results.
Lunar, you're very welcome. If I can share some knowledge that can inspire someone, then I am glad I was able to help.
It'd be great if every time we sat down to write, we were always inspired but unfortunately, it doesn't work like that so we have to try and inspire ourselves by just writing. Whatever comes to mind whether it be a rant, a piece of trivial gossip, a letter to someone about your feelings ... getting the flow of words going really helps in getting everything else moving. It's like a chain reaction.
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Post by mdpthatsme on Oct 15, 2009 17:32:03 GMT -5
I like this thread......well, I've liked all the threads so far. ;D Any who, our stories are just as much apart of us as our arms and legs, maybe an extra toe in a way. It's just there and we've bonded with it. For me, my characters started their development when I was seven, aww, the power of action figures...As I matured, they matured into who they are, as Sims, or just characters in my manuscript writing. The imagination is an awesome tool, gift, or power, whatever you consider it. I was always told that my brain was composed of 99% imagination.... ....I still don't know what the other percent was, but I invested my time into my MANY projects: drawing, writing, and simming, some photography. Making stories is still my favorite part, even if all of it is really just one ginormous phenomena happening in my brain. It's still fantabulous.
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