I have a problem lately with my writing. Instead of going down on paper, it’s all going in my head.
I was having lunch with my honey yesterday when we overheard a conversation between two other customers. It was a perfect Valley Girl rendition – so amazing in fact, that I had no idea what she was talking about. Thad said he was pretty sure SHE didn’t know what she was talking about.
So what did I do with that exchange? Stuck it in a book, of course. (That’s where I get most of my material. Anyone who says they have writers block should just go sit at a coffee shop in a college town for fifteen minutes.) The only problem is I didn’t really write it down…I’m just kind of thinking about it.
Arnie has been written almost entirely in my head. I hand wrote a 14-page outline for Arnie three summers ago. I think I might even have transfered it to my Life Journal for Writers. Beyond that, I have dozens of scenes outlined, but all in my head. The scene where the Dr. comes home and argues with his teenage daughter while his son watches, the scene where the Dr. makes THE discovery of the novel, the scene where Arnie overhears conversations at his mother’s funeral…all meaningless until I actually get it down on paper.
I have Chain of Fools mostly written, too, and mostly in my head. The opening scene (which mostly IS written and actually in print), Karl and Gina’s wedding, Gina’s car chase, Karl’s move from Seattle, the prison visit from the greasy lawyer…tons of details between a half dozen characters. What am I doing sitting here? My boyfriend used to work as a financial rep and has access to all sorts of great research I could use, for this book especially. Chop chop, people!
The Legacy of Cademus Brown. Started in January 2006. Total words in print: 17,000. Total words in my head: a million more. I really need to get started.
Like most writers, I think a lot about what I’m going to write. I spend a lot more time thinking than writing, sometimes, and that’s a problem. My goal for this summer is to get more of it down in print. 80,000 on each of my three biggest books by September 1st, 2008. Then I can spend the fall editing them.
Oooh. I gots’ta lotta work to do!
6 responses so far ↓
Nancy // April 15, 2008 at 3:05 pm
This is a very common problem for many writers.
Have you considered using a small digital recorder that you can carry with you to record notes and ideas on? You just have to think out loud.:)
Then you can transcribe your notes later.
Kimberly Dawn Wells // April 15, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I do. Two in fact. Because I lost one and couldn’t live without it.
Now I just need to sit down and transfer the 37 hours of audio to my computer. Oops…
One of my problems used to be that I didn’t speak my thoughts well. My mouth and my brain just aren’t connected sometimes. So a lot of that 37 hours is loooooong silence.
Nancy // April 15, 2008 at 4:37 pm
You might also consider voice recognition software like “Dragon Naturally Speaking” for your computer.
You train it to your own voice first, and it’s fairly accurate. Then you could read notes or just talk to your computer to get the words down.
And it will skip over the silences.
Kimberly Dawn Wells // April 15, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Ooooh, excellent idea. I have tried voice recognition software in the past but it was a TOTAL bust! I think I spent more time retyping than I would have typing it in the first place. I will try that!
lethebashar // April 16, 2008 at 3:17 am
Ideas are one thing. Writing is another. I know what you’re talkin about. Training myself to write no matter what has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. The writing process always elludes me. I like what I’ve read on this website. I’m linking you to my blog; feel free to do the same.
Susan // April 16, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I’m impressed that you can keep that much stuff in your head!! I’ve probably mentally drafted a million ideas, but never the entire book. I _have_ to write it down. And I’m doing _really_ well at that. (Not!!) Some day …