Sunday, November 7, 2010

A WRITER'S MIND IS ON-CALL 24/7

There are times when a writer, like me, will have those far away eyes. You know what I mean, one minute you’re having a conversation with a writer, then they seem to check out for a few minutes. Where do they go? I’ll tell you. They’re tying up that latest plot twist. They’re trying to remember what you call that ramp you walk down to enter a plane. They’re figuring out how their protaganist is going to get out of the latest jam they put him in. It’s always in the back of a writer’s mind. It’s all part of the process. You could spend a lifetime trying to explain it. If you’re a close friend or family member this will happen more frequently. Why? Because they feel more comfortable doing it with you than an acquaintance which could cause some uncomfortable moments.

Be understanding when this happens. The writer can’t help it, their brain is wired to manufacture scenes in their mind before it reaches their keyboard and if they wait until they're sitting in front of the computer to get it done, it’ll take a decade to finish a chapter. So they wander. They take that excess time we have each day to unwind and turn it into a productive business meeting. Consider it a conference call for the imagination.

So the next time you’re driving in a car with a writer and notice them staring out the window. Don’t be surprised when you ask them what they’re doing and they turn to you and say, “I’m working.”

10 comments:

  1. Excellent post, Gary! Been there, done that, do that and will be doing it going forward.

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  2. Great blog, Gary. Professional dreamers summed up perfectly.

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  3. Thanks guys. Now you have a built-in excuse the next time you're caught daydreaming.

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  4. THANK YOU! I think my husband thinks I'm ADHD or something! Having a sleeping disorder that sends me to nap for about 18 hours out of every 24 only makes it worse because I'm determined to crank out every bit of imaginative fluff I can manage when I AM awake. Now, I'm trying to remember what that plank you walk down to get to the plane is called. Damnit.

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  5. Great post, Gary. Enjoyed reading it because I could definitely see myself in it. Sometimes in the middle of doing something, my mind just

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  6. Exactly! My husband's constantly asking me, "What's wrong, what are you thinking about?" So annoying. Good post!

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  7. The other half gets very frustrated with me when this happens. At least now I can direct him to this page and point out it's normal! Well, normal for writers anyway.

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  8. I have used those words - they're not very persuasive when one's hand surrounds a glass filled with an amber liquid.

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  9. Great post indeed! 100% true ;), yet I would like to add that a writer works more than 24/7... Sometimes time stops in a writer's mind, and a minute seems as long as an hour, or even more... So, a month could be an year long, writing or thinking about wisdom in a converstaion between heroes and villans, the ways to win a fierce battle or escape an inescapable situation, to compose a nice poem that could move even a strong man to tears, to create new, unseen characters, not ordinary and common already as vampires, princesses, elves, wizards with sharp hats, etc... Hope it happened with many other authors too?

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