When your characters are talking to you

[SashaS_EroticaQueen]

Often, when I am describing my creative process to someone, they are kind of horrified to hear of my late nights and the obsessive way in which I write. They often ask me, "what's the rush?"

There is no rush, as such. I just want to know what happens next, and I tend not to really know, until I have written it. It doesn't matter if I have a storyline all set up, or not. The characters usually twist it in some way, sometimes in quite a major way.

Another thing the characters do to me is - they never stop talking. I mean, this started back when I was a little girl and writing my first journal at age 5.. I created a "council" of people to discuss various aspects of my life. One for art, one for school, one for love.. Well, nowadays I am doing well if I can restrict myself to just the characters in the current book I am writing, as opposed to more (since I always have more books waiting in the wings, I'll start them while writing the main one, just so I don't lose the idea).

This week I finished my sixth erotica, a sci-fi erotica of almost 500 pages, which I then proceeded to edit. Today I finished the editing, so I went to do some other chores on our farm. Do you think I got a moment's respite from my characters? Hell no! The entire time I was at the river and doing things and helping my fiance... I had one of the key characters whispering to me. And I did not even realise that I was thinking about the next volume of this story, until I sat down at my laptop and... yeah. It is incessant and relentless and I never want it to stop.

Now, I know not everyone works this way, but I also know there are other like me, out there. So speak up and tell me - do you have the same experience?

 

[lovecraft68]

All the time. I come up with a premise, get my characters somewhat set in my head, then once I begin, I feel like the story is being told to me as much as I'm the one telling it. At work there are periods of time when I'm the only person in one part of the building and I'll end up talking to myself as I run through a scene and the characters are having a conversation.

They always say talking to yourself is dangerous when you start answering, but its them, dammit, not me.

 

[KeithD]

Rather typical for writers. Helps making writing exciting.

 

[THBGato]

Yep. Although I wouldn't say they talk to me as such. More that I'll suddenly see them doing something, have a vision of a scene, while I'm in the middle of some mundane task. Akin to daydreaming I suppose.

 

[Agent0069]

The Enrichment Center reminds you that the Character In Your Head will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak.

I've spent a few days writing and rewriting a certain chapter, because a side character I happened to name earlier (as an eastern egg) crawled up into the script, and demanded to be given spotlight and a chance to speak their mind. Everyone else had to move, so that demand would be met. So, yeah, kinda relatable.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I've often suffered nights when it was impossible to sleep, especially when I only started to write. For some reason whenever I lay down, my mind would get flooded with ideas about the stories I was working on and I had to write them down, knowing I would forget some of them if I waited until the morning. It doesn't happen as often now but it's directly linked to my investment in the story.
It's a great feeling, although one that can seriously mess with your time and your day-night cycle

 

[gunhilltrain]

I've often suffered nights when it was impossible to sleep, especially when I only started to write. For some reason whenever I lay down, my mind would get flooded with ideas about the stories I was working on and I had to write them down, knowing I would forget some of them if I waited until the morning. It doesn't happen as often now but it's directly linked to my investment in the story.
It's a great feeling, although one that can seriously mess with your time and your day-night cycle

Yeah, but recently I found I couldn't read most of my handwriting the next day.

Anyway, they don't talk to me directly. However, if the story has first-person narration, they seem to be addressing some unseen audience. It's not always clear if they are writing their own stories or just talking about them. I guess it could be either.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Yeah, but recently I found I couldn't read most of my handwriting the next day.

That's what the phone is for

 

[Britva415]

My characters all agree with me when they say they can't imagine writing a story on a phone. We know it's the 21st century but we feel like this is some kind of performative showing-off.

 

[Bazzle]

I regularly have to ask them what they are going to do next

 

[gunhilltrain]

That's what the phone is for

I'm still Cro-Magnon with technology. I sometimes will make notes on the desktop machine. I actually like land-lines better than cell phones (I have both) because the former is easier to use. Apple keeps making its phones more and more complicated.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I regularly have to ask them what they are going to do next

I don't ask them, they just go ahead and do it. It it seems to work, then I use it.

 

[Comshaw]

I'm still Cro-Magnon with technology. I sometimes will make notes on the desktop machine. I actually like land-lines better than cell phones (I have both) because the former is easier to use. Apple keeps making its phones more and more complicated.

Modern day cell phones aren't really phones. They are hand-held computers. Back in the day my first (desktop) computer had 640K of memory and two, 3 1/2" floppy drives. I was envious of my wife. At her work she had a hard drive on her computer and it held a huge 10 MB! Of course those were the days of DOS 3.0, batch files to operate the system and other things you had to know.

The modern cell phone can do everything a desktop can do. The problem with them is for old farts like me, seeing what's on that hand sized screen and the tiny little keyboard that isn't conducive to letting sausage fingers (like mine) use it. A damned text message takes me a while when I have to go back and correct my mistakes or when my zombie fingers won't make the letters come up.

But now that I've rambled on about other stuff, to the main question I go.

Yes, I do hear my character's voices, the tone, the timber, inflections, word choice. It's just like I'm listening to someone stand next to me and talk. I also "point" them in different directions to see where they will go and what happens. When they go I just follow along. It's interesting to me that I know it's all coming from in my brain, but I'm not conscious of why it's happening or where it actually comes from.


Comshaw

 

[XerXesXu]

No. When I'm engaged in other tasks, I'm totally focused on that task, a necessary life skill. Anyway, my characters understand that I'm God, and they do what they're told.

 

[Voboy]

Now, I know not everyone works this way, but I also know there are other like me, out there. So speak up and tell me - do you have the same experience?

Frequently. You're not alone.

A lot of folks cannot think like this, however, which is fine... for them. Many ways to skin a cat and all that.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Modern day cell phones aren't really phones. They are hand-held computers. Back in the day my first (desktop) computer had 640K of memory and two, 3 1/2" floppy drives. I was envious of my wife. At her work she had a hard drive on her computer and it held a huge 10 MB! Of course those were the days of DOS 3.0, batch files to operate the system and other things you had to know.

The modern cell phone can do everything a desktop can do. The problem with them is for old farts like me, seeing what's on that hand sized screen and the tiny little keyboard that isn't conducive to letting sausage fingers (like mine) use it. A damned text message takes me a while when I have to go back and correct my mistakes or when my zombie fingers won't make the letters come up.

But now that I've rambled on about other stuff, to the main question I go.

Yes, I do hear my character's voices, the tone, the timber, inflections, word choice. It's just like I'm listening to someone stand next to me and talk. I also "point" them in different directions to see where they will go and what happens. When they go I just follow along. It's interesting to me that I know it's all coming from in my brain, but I'm not conscious of why it's happening or where it actually comes from.


Comshaw

Yeah, the keyboards on most phones are too small for me to easily use. Also, it's hard to explain exactly what's going on, but Apple at least is not as intuitive to use as it once was. Too many new functions added, part of the problem. Ironic that Apple was a hit years ago by developing a user-friendly interface.

I suppose most writers can hear their characters talking. Notable that the female ones are often the most vivid. Anyway, it's hard to explain what writing is all about. A lot of it seems to occur slightly below the level of our consciousness.

 

[SashaS_EroticaQueen]

Awesome responses, thank you all! For some reason, I am unable to press 'like' on all of the comments above, only the first one. A glitch perhaps?

I especially identify with the comment AwkwardlySet made above, about the creative process messing with the day/night cycle. However, as a 51 year old woman, I do not always end up sleeping 7 or more hours per night, anyway. I figured, I might as well make good use of that time, especially since (a) I don't share bedrooms with my fiance; and (b) he works away a lot anyway. So, I am not bothering anyone by adopting slightly crazy sleeping patterns. Although I have made it a personal rule to ensure I get enough rest every night. I generally draw the line at 1 or 2am. Very rarely I'll go to 3 or 4am, and I always pay the price the next day...

There seems to be some confusion with some writers, as to whether they talk to the characters, or merely listen in on the characters' conversations. I think both can occur. Generally, when I am actively writing (typing), I am observing the scene in front of me, in great detail. I am also feeling a lot of what some of the characters are feeling. I tend to identify with the women, of course, but not just one woman - usually, I identify with every single woman that ends up tangled up with a dominant male (the thing that turns me on).

Away from the laptop, while walking around and trying - emphasis on 'trying' - to focus on other things, the characters most definitely speak to me directly. They will also answer if I address them, such as during writing, when they do something particularly shocking. This is a totally silent conversation that occurs entirely in my own head. I am not crazy and I do not claim to be hearing voices. No. I am simply saying that I experience these characters every bit as strongly as a real person (and a lot more real than some 'real' people out there). I might think something like, "Wait a second! You weren't meant to do that, dammit!"

They will usually say, "Sure, I was."
I might counter with, "Can we at least talk about it?"
To which the answer is, invariably, "Nope."
And these are dominant males, mind you. Very decisive, very opinionated, very smug... I just let them have their own way. Sometimes the plot weaves and catches both of us off guard, ha ha. But generally, like someone else said, this is the true excitement of writing. Not knowing what will happen, until it happens!

 

[cadeauxxx]

I can totally relate to you.

It sounds like you are mentally connecting with your characters in a way that you truly feel them. When you have a connection like that to characters, they take a life of their own in the story and if it's a series, they can drive it in various directions you didn't originally think it would go in. Enjoy the ride they take you on.

 

[Cagivagurl]

Often, when I am describing my creative process to someone, they are kind of horrified to hear of my late nights and the obsessive way in which I write. They often ask me, "what's the rush?"

There is no rush, as such. I just want to know what happens next, and I tend not to really know, until I have written it. It doesn't matter if I have a storyline all set up, or not. The characters usually twist it in some way, sometimes in quite a major way.

Another thing the characters do to me is - they never stop talking. I mean, this started back when I was a little girl and writing my first journal at age 5.. I created a "council" of people to discuss various aspects of my life. One for art, one for school, one for love.. Well, nowadays I am doing well if I can restrict myself to just the characters in the current book I am writing, as opposed to more (since I always have more books waiting in the wings, I'll start them while writing the main one, just so I don't lose the idea).

This week I finished my sixth erotica, a sci-fi erotica of almost 500 pages, which I then proceeded to edit. Today I finished the editing, so I went to do some other chores on our farm. Do you think I got a moment's respite from my characters? Hell no! The entire time I was at the river and doing things and helping my fiance... I had one of the key characters whispering to me. And I did not even realise that I was thinking about the next volume of this story, until I sat down at my laptop and... yeah. It is incessant and relentless and I never want it to stop.

Now, I know not everyone works this way, but I also know there are other like me, out there. So speak up and tell me - do you have the same experience?

When I sit down to write...
All I have is a little snippet of and idea. A partially overheard conversation. A news item. Something that sparked an idea.That's where I start, then as I find some dialogue and the characters start to develop. I find myself in the zone, writing till late at night or early morning.
Going to bed doesn't stop the process, in many ways it speeds it up.
Sleep can be hard to come by when in that mood....
I do fall into the story. Find I think like the characters which I am developing...
It's a wonderful process, as the story unfolds and the characters grow...
The first few days of writing are the worst, when my brain is interweaving the story...
Still, I guess that's why we do it. FUN...

Cagivagurl

 

[Kumquatqueen]

My characters chat to me - or at least some do; others are more reticent. Trying to get words out of Laura and Rachel was like pulling teeth, trying to figure out what they'd do when they met. Bloody repressed women! Just as well some other characters won't shut up and could fill me in.

Now, if certain characters would stop snarking so I can edit their streams of consciousness into an actual story...

Having voices in your head is normal, ditto chatting to them. It's only when they only say scary or unpleasant stuff, *and* you can't manage to tell them to fuck off, that you have a problem.

 

[SashaS_EroticaQueen]

When I sit down to write...
All I have is a little snippet of and idea. A partially overheard conversation. A news item. Something that sparked an idea.That's where I start, then as I find some dialogue and the characters start to develop. I find myself in the zone, writing till late at night or early morning.
Going to bed doesn't stop the process, in many ways it speeds it up.
Sleep can be hard to come by when in that mood....
I do fall into the story. Find I think like the characters which I am developing...
It's a wonderful process, as the story unfolds and the characters grow...
The first few days of writing are the worst, when my brain is interweaving the story...
Still, I guess that's why we do it. FUN...

Cagivagurl

Yes, for fun, but also because I feel driven to do it. The same way I get inspired to paint or sculpt something. When inspiration strikes, I must respond. It hurts if I don't.

I also write in order to share my stories. To that end, I publish them and make them available for purchase.

Sadly (and frustratingly), people on Literotica will gush and heap compliments on one's writing, without ONCE clicking on the link that says "support this author on smashwords" at the bottom of a story / segment. If they did, they would find out that there is an entire series of books already written and available for purchase as e-books, for a pittance (in my case, $2 or $4 per e-book). Of course, Literotica forbids me from directly responding to comments to let people know this. Because God forbid that we should be able to earn a dime for our efforts or promote our work here. God forbid...

 

[Hypnobitch01]

That’s my favourite part of writing!!!! My characters are making the story, not me. I am simply documenting.

Author of: The Trophy Wife, Birds of a Feather, Conri and Red, My Other Mistress, And more….

 

[Cagivagurl]

Yes, for fun, but also because I feel driven to do it. The same way I get inspired to paint or sculpt something. When inspiration strikes, I must respond. It hurts if I don't.

I also write in order to share my stories. To that end, I publish them and make them available for purchase.

Sadly (and frustratingly), people on Literotica will gush and heap compliments on one's writing, without ONCE clicking on the link that says "support this author on smashwords" at the bottom of a story / segment. If they did, they would find out that there is an entire series of books already written and available for purchase as e-books, for a pittance (in my case, $2 or $4 per e-book). Of course, Literotica forbids me from directly responding to comments to let people know this. Because God forbid that we should be able to earn a dime for our efforts or promote our work here. God forbid...

I understand the element of pain when a story or a desire to create is so strong sleep becomes impossible.
It's more pronounced for me when it's a song. (I'm a musician and song writer as well.)
Where we part company is the reasons for posting.
Writing for me is a hobby. I do it for fun. I think were it a job, some of the enjoyment would evaporate....
For me... Deadlines, and expectation would slowly squeeze the fun right out of it.

Good luck with your writing though. I hope it works out well for you...

Cagivagurl

 

[SashaS_EroticaQueen]

I understand the element of pain when a story or a desire to create is so strong sleep becomes impossible.
It's more pronounced for me when it's a song. (I'm a musician and song writer as well.)
Where we part company is the reasons for posting.
Writing for me is a hobby. I do it for fun. I think were it a job, some of the enjoyment would evaporate....
For me... Deadlines, and expectation would slowly squeeze the fun right out of it.

Good luck with your writing though. I hope it works out well for you...

Cagivagurl

The only reason I began publishing my books was because people begged me to do it.

I am dismayed that so many here are "begging" for more of a certain story, yet never think to check my smashwords profile...... where that story is available in FULL, and goes on for no less than 3 books... the latest one being 700+ pages, and just $4 as an e-book. So much fun, for so little outlay.

I want to share with a lot more people, that's why 'success' is so important to me. Also, my dream is to write with minimum interruptions - and a day job certainly counts as an interruption! lol

 

[Cagivagurl]

The only reason I began publishing my books was because people begged me to do it.

I am dismayed that so many here are "begging" for more of a certain story, yet never think to check my smashwords profile...... where that story is available in FULL, and goes on for no less than 3 books... the latest one being 700+ pages, and just $4 as an e-book. So much fun, for so little outlay.

I want to share with a lot more people, that's why 'success' is so important to me. Also, my dream is to write with minimum interruptions - and a day job certainly counts as an interruption! lol

I can see how, for all those trying to make that leap forward this is a great advertising platform....

Good luck