Story takes over life!

[fifty5]

Virgin posting for info...

I'm a newbie - posted one story and writing another - so don't have much experience of this Author thing, so I wanted to ask if other writers start to feel that their stories are real?

I've been working on this thing for between 2 & 3 weeks: nearly 9,000 words typed (about half) plus 2/3 of the rest 'written' in my head, waiting for time to do the typing

Throughout the day I'm constantly going back to the thing: should this happen; would that be better; does this fit the 'feel' of the whole; would that twist appeal to readers...

Anyway, the fact is that the story is based on real people (well, their faces and figures - I don't know them well enough to pinch their real characters), though I do hope I've changed enough detail so that they aren't recognisable.

... and I'm going to see them again tomorrow.

I do know it's stupid, but I'm half expecting them to behave like the characters I've written. It feels like I've been sucked into this make believe world and it only needs a passing elf to wave a wand and it could take over from real life...

What I'd like to ask is whether other writers get the same sort of feeling?
Is it just me?
Is it an artefact of lifting the protagonists from life?

Or am I just going nuts in yet another way?

f5

 

[pop_54]

Yeppers

It happens friend, you get well into a story and wind up daydreaming about the story and how it's going to develope.
Specially with fact based stuff where you know the characters in person, or you are a character yourself as I sometimes am.

Editing the story in your brain in the work day when you should be consentrating on other things.

Just means you're becoming a dedicated author already, hehe!!

Keep up the good work friend, but try not to overdo it and knacker yourself.

pops...........

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I had to start my novel because a character from a short story wouldn't leave me the fuck alone.

 

[PenanceS]

Yeah, that happens loads.
My ADD helps me out with this as I am constantly thinking of other things to add into my stories, even when I'm talking to my Fiancee or sis in law.
I also remember one of my favorite writers sating that they couuld pinch out 3000 words in their hay day.and I keep trying to beat them at their own game (he'd been writing for 30+ years)
L8r Penance

 

[wildsweetone]

...aside to deliciously_naughty...

I had to start my novel because a character from a short story wouldn't leave me the fuck alone.

Did it work? Does your character leave you alone now?

 

[snooper]

What blew my mind ...

... was eighteen months after publishing a character I 'met' her on Lit. Same looks, ideas, age, likes and dislikes. She was also surprised.

 

[oggbashan]

Re: ...aside to deliciously_naughty...

Did it work? Does your character leave you alone now?

Doesn't work for me. I write one story. The main characters want more. The minor characters want stories of their own. That makes them main characters so they want more stories interacting with the earlier main characters ...

I try to stop by changing location and characters completely. That makes more main characters who want sequels and minor characters who want stories of their own which makes them main characters so they want more stories interacting with the earlier main characters ...

I break completely and write rubbish such as The Worst Chain Story Ever Chap 01 but the main characters in that complain that they are wasted and why don't I write a real story of their own which ...

AAGH!

Og

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: ...aside to deliciously_naughty...

I break completely and write rubbish such as The Worst Chain Story Ever Chap 01 but the main characters in that complain that they are wasted and why don't I write a real story of their own which ...

Dear Og,
It was extremely good rubbish, though. I think it's about time to take you-know-who to task for not following through on that project. Your story is too go.... ba.... whatever to just lie there languishing.
MG
Ps. There's a lot to be said for languishing, though. I intend to develop it into an art form today.

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Re: ...aside to deliciously_naughty...

There's a lot to be said for languishing, though. I intend to develop it into an art form today.

MG: if you are successful, please write up a "How To"; I've had difficulty languishing lately.

uptightly, Perdita

 

[deliciously_naughty]

Re: ...aside to deliciously_naughty...

Did it work? Does your character leave you alone now?

sigh...not so much...but at least she's occupied with trying to overcome all of her life obstacles that she didn't know about during the short story. I wonder if she knew that she'd gone to the quadroon ball b/c she found it more appealing than being someone's maid after her father died and his wife threw her and her mother out of the house that they should've owned?

And she just thought she was some guy's mistress b/c she loved him....

Explanation...novel is set in 1820's new orleans. The tradition was that quadroon and octoroon women (by the lang of the time, quadroon was 1/4 black and 3/4 white, oct 1/8 white 7/8 black) often chose to become white men's mistresses. They were supposed to get a house and possessions in return, and by napoleonic code (which Louisiana law is based upon as opposed to english common law which is what the rest of the states laws are based upon) their children were supposed to inherit equally with the legitimate children of the marriage.

Claire (my protagonist) is a product of what happens when all doesn't go according to procedure.

 

[Guest]

You people are weird. I lock my character up in her elevator and just leave her there til I figure out what she'll do next. Tough love I call it.

Perdita

 

[SlaveMasterUK]

Sometimes I find writing unpleasant scenes (my stories have plenty) quite difficult if I'm emotionally attached to the character I'm writing about - and I usually am.

On the subject of meeting the 'real' people and expecting them to behave like the character - well I based my main character in Rhiana on a girl who pissed me off after I told her I liked her. It gave me an opportunity to do all sorts of nasty things and really fuck with her head without her even knowing about it. And every time I've seen her since, I can't help a huge grin washing over my face - oh, if only she knew...

ax

 

[MathGirl]

Put 'em in their place

You people are weird. I lock my character up in her elevator and just leave her there til I figure out what she'll do next. Tough love I call it.

Dear Perdita,
I agree. You gotta keep them penned up. Otherwise they will be all over the place like Walter the beagle.
MG

 

[Guest]

Re: Put 'em in their place

Dear Perdita, I agree. You gotta keep them penned up. Otherwise they will be all over the place like Walter the beagle.
MG

MG: My fiction has always enforced "No dogs allowed". I won't even write about cats or birds; it's stressful enough handling overly concupiscent men and women.

Perdita
Executive Director of Lust

 

[The_Fool]

Re: Re: Put 'em in their place

MG: My fiction has always enforced "No dogs allowed". I won't even write about cats or birds; it's stressful enough handling overly concupiscent men and women.

Perdita
Executive Director of Lust

Whose lust are you directing today, darling?

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Re: Put 'em in their place

Whose lust are you directing today, darling?

Why, Mr. Fool, why do you ask?

FYI, my Saturday evening assignation has been canceled.

In lambent lasciviousness,

Purrrdita

 

[fifty5]

Re: Yeppers

Originally posted by pop_54 Yeppers

Hi Pops,

It happens friend ...

Glad to hear that. At least the men in white coats aren't gonna come round (unless someone here calls them).

Specially with fact based stuff where you know the characters in person, or you are a character yourself as I sometimes am.

I'm also relieved to hear that I'm not the only one who does that.

So far, that's deliberate. When I'm reading, I need an intro that is believable before I can suspend disbelief. What I'm telling myself is that starting from a sliver of reality should help me get that first bit of credibility, before I start to need readers to be credulous.

Editing the story in your brain in the work day when you should be consentrating on other things.

Oh... You mean that when I'm driving the 17-tonner I should be concentrating?

Just means you're becoming a dedicated author already, hehe!!

I'll take that as praise - but you're right! Next week I'm on a 5-day trip, so won't be able to get back to the 'real' computer. Would you believe I've dug out the 10-year old DOS portable, so that instead of reading other people's writing, I can sit in the cab and do some of my own? (And remember how grotty portable displays were back in the 20th century!)

Keep up the good work friend, but try not to overdo it and knacker yourself.

Underdoing it (posting on fora instead of writing) and knackering myself seems a more likely risk in my assessment. My excuse (this time) is that I'm waiting for feedback from my Editor...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for the reply.

Ditto to Delish (your AV certainly fits!) and to PenanceS for your feedback too. It seems I'm suffering from 'Authoritis' rather than any other mania...


BTW, in case anyone cares (well, I do!) I did see the women in question today - and they still looked as gorgeous as ever.

No, they didn't pull me over the counter and screw my brains out, but, in the location in question, they wouldn't have even in my story.

I still wish they had!


Stay happy,

f5

 

[FlyontheWall99]

I'm having one of those story takes over life at the moment. I wrote the plot for my current project about a month ago when it came to me. It was a collection of personal experiences and stories I have heard through friends and around the rumour mill. I put it together and based the main characters on two real persons ....

All of a sudden I'm thinking about this story all the time. It started out as a two parter, and now I'm nearly finished the third chapter and thoughts of a fourth are creeping into my mind. I found that I am just sitting down and racing through the pages on my computer, everything is firing at the right time .....

Back to writing.....

Fly ....

 

[Guest]

Dear Senor Fly,

Are you really in Monte Carlo? If so, mucho cool.

curious, Perdita

 

[FlyontheWall99]

Dear Senor Fly,

Are you really in Monte Carlo? If so, mucho cool.

curious, Perdita

Indeed I am, but I'm not European, a poor Canadian boy gone good

It's nice but way too expensive for someone of my age and vices ....

Back to writing ....

Fly ....

 

[Dirty Slut]

I only have one real fear when writing...

And that's that somehow, somewhere what I put to paper will actually happen. It already has twice in my legitimate work, so I'm very careful what I put up here.

DS

 

[FlyontheWall99]

Re: I only have one real fear when writing...

And that's that somehow, somewhere what I put to paper will actually happen. It already has twice in my legitimate work, so I'm very careful what I put up here.

DS

Now that is the kind of thing I wish happened to me. In fact any of the stories I have written would be most welcome if they actually occurred with me involved ....

 

[MathGirl]

Back seat living

Originally posted by perdita Are you really in Monte Carlo? If so, mucho cool.

Dear Perdita,
I think what he means is that he lives in a Chevrolet.
MG

 

[FlyontheWall99]

Re: Back seat living

Dear Perdita,
I think what he means is that he lives in a Chevrolet.
MG

That's the second time that you have sought to point out I live in a Chevrolet. I wouldn't be caught dead in a Chevrolet. One must have more exquisite tastes when it comes to motor vehicles, I drive a Mini Cooper S ......

Back to writing .....

Fly ....

 

[SlaveMasterUK]

I hope it's a proper Mini Cooper S like the one rusting on my driveway, and not one of those nasty new BMW One Series things...

ax