Monday, November 15, 2010

When I Look In My Window

All---

Peter, Paul, and Mary suggested, albeit half tongue-in-cheek, that Donovan's "crystal visions... tell you 'bout a brighter day."  I'm not sure about that, but Donovan did say, "When I look in my window, so many different people to be."

And, dang, for voicey first-person writers like me ain't that the truth?  Because I write with pretty heavy emotional content most of the time, it's embarrassing and silly, but not entirely unusual for my own writing to leave me emotionally devastated, even in tears.  (Yes, The Nevets does cry.)  What's been really strange writing Sublimation, though, is that I have two first-person POV's to manage.  Structurally, story-wise, I think I've pretty much got that managed.

But it's a lot of emotional weight to take on.  It's especially straining when, as the book goes on, the protag and antag have very emotional moments driven by their contrary perspectives on the same moment.

It's like being both me and my brother in a fight between us or something.

Anyone else find their writing almost too much to handle sometimes, because the content not because of the practical challenges?

.Nevets.

15 comments:

  1. The first book I wrote was devastating for me. My character suffered the loss of a son and a rape/attack. All I remember about that work is that I cried a lot writing it.

    Many days and nights, I would feel emotionally drained. It's like having to live two stressful lives.

    CD

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  2. I do at times, specially when its more non-fiction based. I'm more invested in my writing when I'm writing a memory, and tend to get sucked back into the emotion I felt at the time.

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  3. Yes, but then you probably already figured that out about me.

    What really weirds me out is that I don't usually get worked up enough to cry, even when I'm writing a piece that makes other people cry. Because for me when the writing is going well it's really like taking dictation, the story is just being told to me as it goes.

    Then I go back and read something like that two years later and then I cry...

    Pull up a box of Kleenex, Nevets, and celebrate all that emotion. We wouldn't have you any other way.

    ~bru

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  4. I do. I get strained sometimes when the characters are going through something rough. . . but I haven't cried yet. I probably will, though.

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  5. I become my characters. Animate and inanimate. I feel the emotions and I like to think it comes through in my writing endeavours. Ambience is a key factor.
    Have a peaceful day.
    With respect, Gary

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  6. I have had this happen to me on the long-term with one story. It is not a very long story, but it took me a long time to write it because I kept having to take breaks when the content was too heavy for me. With other stories, it only happens in brief flashes, often when I don't expect them. Sometimes I'll read a seemingly harmless scene, but it will make me feel a lot. That has always puzzled me.

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  7. @Clarissa - That must have been an intense and draining experience. I've given myself permanent psychological baggage through experiences I've put characters through and I think writing a book like that would do it for sure.

    @Summer - My non-fiction is emotionless and boring. Memoirs? I think if I wrote them straight-up they would be dry, boring, and frustrating.

    @Bru - Consider the kleenexes in hand.

    @G'Eagle - I don't cry very often, but I do. It's usually in a moment of sheet, total hopeless. Alas, I write about hopelessness a lot.

    @Gary - Thanks so much for commenting! I definitely understand what you mean. I use a "method" approach wherein I am essentially roleplaying my characters as I write them. That probably enhances the emotional experience for me. I Thanks again!

    @Domey - The moments that get to me are annoying, because I usually know why they hit me, but I also know they won't hit general readers in the same way so it really screws up my ability to to evaluate them. lol

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  8. I don't think I cry, but I certainly inhabit my characters. Interestingly, in the three voice YA book I am writing now, I feel most invested in the emotions of the male character, even though one of the female characters is based on me and some of my experiences. Nevets, I'm interested that you always choose to write in the first person. Do you ever find that restricts you?

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  9. @Belle - Interesting sometimes which characters it is that we actually relate to, isn't it? I sometimes suspect that's because we use the characters less like us to house the emotions and ideas we'd rather not deal with directly. But if we're good at what we do, we have to confront them anyway. :)

    And that's a great question about the first person POV. I shall post immediately about this!

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  10. Honestly, Nevets, I didn't even NOTICE the two POVs in that book until like page 40. It flowed really well, so keep at it. :) Yes, my writing is almost always too much to handle.

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  11. I mean I didn't notice the two FIRST POVs. You know what I meant.

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  12. If you didn't notice the POV's that means they were either invisible (which is good) or indistinct from one another (which is bad). I'll choose the first. lol :)

    And, actually, that would be one of coolest things anyone's ever said about my writing.

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  13. Then count it as cool because they are definitely distinct, in my opinion. It would have kind of sucked and made me say something if your female character sounded exactly the same as your male character. ;)

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  14. I have a two hour block that can be used, mostly, as time to write (nap-time/lunch break). I'm keeping all the descriptive and emotional stuff for editing. Right now, I'm laying down the most basic elements of my story for nano. However, one of the characters wanted to adopt a dog from the pound. I allowed myself to get just a tiny bit descriptive. I tried not to let the little girl laying across from me on her cot see the tears in my eyes....yeah, it's gonna be heavy.

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  15. @Michelle - haha True enough. :)

    @TWC - Good luck with managing that! Sounds like a heck of a challenge!

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