Writing

During some periods for about one to two months at the time about every seven years or so, I get sick and tired of everything dark. I want only fun and beauty and...well...venus in sag in the 7th house and gemini moon in the 2nd, I think describes it pretty well. It's like Pluto deserts me for this time(YAY!) and everything becomes light. Weird, I know(anyone who can, please explain that astrologically). Trouble is, when it disapears, it disappears.

Years ago, during one of those "episodes," I started to write a novel. I am very pleased with the story; it's planned out in every detail and during that period of time, I managed to write about 40 pages which are as finished as they can be before the entire thing is written from A to Z.

Now for the problem:
I know every detail of it, including characters, story-line every step of the way, setting and whatnot. But I can't write it, because this is not what I normally write about. Fact is, I have gone through everything I have written during the past six years, and only one thing(a short-story) did not include death and/or rape(this greatly surprised me; I hadn't even thought about that before. It's just what happens when I write, apparently)...which is not even close to what my novel is about. It's supposed to be light with dark elements, admittedly, but it's supposed to be funny.

I honestly think the novel deserves to be written, but how do I get in the mind-set to write it? I'm begging you all for help. Do you have any form of advice for me? I really need to write this novel!

Posted by tiziani
I know the feelings.

There was a 2-3 year spell where I want to write nothing but melodrama. The more melodramatic and light, the better.

I found it helps to look at comedy as the avoidance of real emotions.

Maybe instead of trying to write it to be light, focusing on deliberately avoid whatever dark feelings might be lying underneath that the characters are going out of their way to avoid. That's if you want any comedy elements to it.

But it's just a suggestion, not something that's actually worked for me. During that spell I wrote a romance and a romantic comedy and I've never rewritten them again. I just kind of adapted the plot from the second one to something a little more ironic but still romance.

Thank you so much for your input!🙂

May I ask you to elaborate upon the bold part - I want to be sure that I understand it correctly.

Posted by Nevermore
Question: How can you be able to have the patient & continuously on to finished the story?

I really had trouble with that.. I got so many plans and yet left many unfinished stories. 😐

I feel I need to really think about that one - I'll get back to you.

But first thought, I think it's about passion for the story and mainly for the characters. They need to live.

Posted by Taureye
For me going into different mindsets involves me watching and observing different types of people whether it's in real life or in movies/TV shows. I delve into their psych and try to imagine the world through their eyes. Once i do this i can hear their voice in my head writing everything i put down. Thats the only way i can go from melodramatic to serious to sarcastic writing. I've also been a method actor during my college years so i i guess it's a practiced skill.

That's how I do it too(!), except that I draw a lot from different settings as well and that except for one theater course in school, I've never done any acting.🙂

Problem is, if I see something really fluffy and fun and light in real life, it's always the contrast that inspires me to write something about it. There is always something dark there in the person or in the relationship between the people and that's where I tend to go with my writing. The more carefree the person seems, the more likely he or she is to get raped or killed in one of my stories. 😢

*Edit Not , I just realised that that last sentence wasn't entirely accurate. I need to sense something in the person or situation to make that happen.

Posted by tiziani

Posted by HappyCapper

Posted by tiziani
I know the feelings.

There was a 2-3 year spell where I want to write nothing but melodrama. The more melodramatic and light, the better.

I found it helps to look at comedy as the avoidance of real emotions.

Maybe instead of trying to write it to be light, focusing on deliberately avoid whatever dark feelings might be lying underneath that the characters are going out of their way to avoid. That's if you want any comedy elements to it.

But it's just a suggestion, not something that's actually worked for me. During that spell I wrote a romance and a romantic comedy and I've never rewritten them again. I just kind of adapted the plot from the second one to something a little more ironic but still romance.

Thank you so much for your input!🙂

May I ask you to elaborate upon the bold part - I want to be sure that I understand it correctly.

Essentially it's the same thing, just focusing (in the background story) on the dark feelings each character is feeling in the scene, and then write the absolute opposite on the surface.

The characters may be behaving melodramatically but what truth (or elephant in the room) do they know they're avoiding in each scene? That's what I would ask.

click to expand

Hmm. This is difficult. I know these characters - I know how they would feel in any situation I could possibly put them in. I know their voices. I honestly don't know how I would do what you suggest.

I should probably add that the comedy is not built on melodrama, so much as on characters being in different situations and places and meeting people with a different set of values and habits. And I'm not talking about them slipping on a banana peel, but genuine situations in a world that is not ours. Hmm. Difficult to explain. 🙂 What a writer I am, huh? 😉

Posted by Taureye

Posted by HappyCapper

Posted by Taureye
For me going into different mindsets involves me watching and observing different types of people whether it's in real life or in movies/TV shows. I delve into their psych and try to imagine the world through their eyes. Once i do this i can hear their voice in my head writing everything i put down. Thats the only way i can go from melodramatic to serious to sarcastic writing. I've also been a method actor during my college years so i i guess it's a practiced skill.

That's how I do it too(!), except that I draw a lot from different settings as well and that except for one theater course in school, I've never done any acting.🙂

Problem is, if I see something really fluffy and fun and light in real life, it's always the contrast that inspires me to write something about it. There is always something dark there in the person or in the relationship between the people and that's where I tend to go with my writing. The more carefree the person seems, the more likely he or she is to get raped or killed in one of my stories. 😢

*Edit Not , I just realised that that last sentence wasn't entirely accurate. I need to sense something in the person or situation to make that happen.

I would suggest doing an endless writing exercise where you write a story that is endless and slowly turn it into a happy ending. Maybe you need to get the darkness levels to go down a bit?

click to expand

Oh, funny thing, I'd say about 40% of my stories have happy or go-back-to-normal endings. But before that happens, people die. I definitely need to get the darkness levels down for this story! I just don't know how.

@tiziani

" found it helps to look at comedy as the avoidance of real emotions."

Yes, I agree!

If it's too dumb, though, I don't think it's even funny or has any inspiration value. It's just sad.

But watching semi watch worthy comedies is actually a good trick. Could help. Thank you! I'll try that.🙂

Posted by Taureye

Posted by HappyCapper

Posted by Taureye

Posted by HappyCapper

Posted by Taureye
For me going into different mindsets involves me watching and observing different types of people whether it's in real life or in movies/TV shows. I delve into their psych and try to imagine the world through their eyes. Once i do this i can hear their voice in my head writing everything i put down. Thats the only way i can go from melodramatic to serious to sarcastic writing. I've also been a method actor during my college years so i i guess it's a practiced skill.

That's how I do it too(!), except that I draw a lot from different settings as well and that except for one theater course in school, I've never done any acting.🙂

Problem is, if I see something really fluffy and fun and light in real life, it's always the contrast that inspires me to write something about it. There is always something dark there in the person or in the relationship between the people and that's where I tend to go with my writing. The more carefree the person seems, the more likely he or she is to get raped or killed in one of my stories. 😢

*Edit Not , I just realised that that last sentence wasn't entirely accurate. I need to sense something in the person or situation to make that happen.

I would suggest doing an endless writing exercise where you write a story that is endless and slowly turn it into a happy ending. Maybe you need to get the darkness levels to go down a bit?

Oh, funny thing, I'd say about 40% of my stories have happy or go-back-to-normal endings. But before that happens, people die. I definitely need to get the darkness levels down for this story! I just don't know how.

Try starting them out happy then ending them dark. Usually when something ends dark it bothers people. Let it bother you and maybe you'll start to not feel as comfortable inserting dark elements in your story an you'll have a fairly normal story.

click to expand

Yeah, that's how most my stories go. They start out nicely and end in ewwwwwwww! As long as I sense the darkness and know it will come sooner or later, I'm fine. Damn!

@taureye

Yeah, maybe if I force myself to only write dark, dark, dark, I'll get tired of it...at least for a while. And also, I really don't like people telling me what to do...and in that case it would be me, so I'd probably need to revolt! 😄

Love it! Thanks!🙂

Posted by Taureye

Posted by HappyCapper
@taureye

Yeah, maybe if I force myself to only write dark, dark, dark, I'll get tired of it...at least for a while. And also, I really don't like people telling me what to do...and in that case it would be me, so I'd probably need to revolt! 😄

Love it! Thanks!🙂

VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!!! You're very welcome writer goat.

click to expand

Thanks again, writer bull!🙂

Posted by Nevermore

Posted by HappyCapper

Posted by Nevermore
Question: How can you be able to have the patient & continuously on to finished the story?

I really had trouble with that.. I got so many plans and yet left many unfinished stories. 😐

I feel I need to really think about that one - I'll get back to you.

But first thought, I think it's about passion for the story and mainly for the characters. They need to live.

It must be my Aries mercury then.. since I really distracted so easily and really wanted to put something in where my ideas has been quite good. 😢

click to expand

Do the things you write tend to be action or character driven?

Posted by Nevermore
Question: How can you be able to have the patient & continuously on to finished the story?

I really had trouble with that.. I got so many plans and yet left many unfinished stories. 😐

I went through the same thing. I noticed that it was mostly for stories that were geared towards certain audience and age group. Once I was no longer apart of the age group and audience that I originally intended to write for, I found it harder to relate. Now that my writing has matured, I can go back and continue where I left off. I read somewhere that most books written are sometimes loosely based on your own life experiences.

Posted by AlexHendry
Nice Conversation

They are being very helpful.🙂