You Forget 90% of your Dreams
Dreamscape
(Source: Stupid Station)
I am a writer, which means I spend months putting words on paper so I can spend months editing and rearranging them so I can spend months submitting them and getting rejected. When I don't get rejected, I rejoice for years, just to balance everything out.

I first discovered that I have skewed perceptions of reality when I was eight. I had a really good idea for a book, but I didn't feel comfortable telling my siblings that it was my idea in case they thought it was weird, so I called it a "dream." When I was done with my amazing tale, they told me that something was probably wrong with me.

 Side note: I believed the "dream" gig was such a good red herring that I tried it again the next year. Except this time, I peeked at my birthday gifts and told my sibling about this "dream" I had that coincided with every gift I was about to get. Said sibling ratted me out and I didn't get birthday gifts that year. Dream fail!

Groceries
Shopping cart
(Source: Saving Sanity)
They were right. There's something wrong with me, but I prefer to say I'm "creative." Also, I can do shit in my writing that I would never be allowed to do in real life, which is really cool and therapeutic, and the reason I don't drink too much or hit people. But there are two sides to every coin. My writing affects my real life in unhealthy ways too.
  • When I grocery shop, I think about my totals in the terms of word count:
    • "That cost me almost a whole page."
    • "That wasn't much more than a paragraph."
    • "I can get two of these, they're only a clause apiece."
  • When I watch the news, I find myself thinking, "that would make a great story."
  • At least once a year, I sequester myself away from the world for a month to write 50,000 words. On the weekends, I might not even comb my hair.
  • When I read a really good book, instead of thinking "That was a really great book," I think, "Damn, I should have thought of that."
  • I have a crush on some of my characters. I'm not saying which ones.
  • I eavesdrop in public places to get character dialogue ideas.
  • I delight in being of part of, or seeing awkward situations, because I know I will eventually use them in a story.
rorschach10
Ink blot
(Source: zaynabdenaziari.com)
Most of all, writing something and putting it out there is baring your soul to the world. You're opening yourself up to criticism and psychological evaluation. That includes blogs. After reading two or more of a writer's works, I know who has daddy issues, a broken heart or a boring love life. I can also pretty much guess who felt nurtured as a child, who feels loved now and who has an unhealthy obsession with masturbation.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
The Shining
(Source: Be the Ink)
That being said, I'm set to lock myself in my room at the end of each work day for a month in an attempt to pound out another 50,000 words that (should) make sense when read sequentially. I'm supposed to write 1,667 words a day, but generally I write 500-750 a day during the week and then 15,000 on the weekends. The last day I'll probably write 5,000 but look back and  find the page covered with: "All work and no play makes Cynthia a dull girl" over and over again. Ooh. That could be a cool plot point.

Blog off.

Related articles

Enhanced by Zemanta