Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Flippy Me and Them

So this thing happened where my mood was effected by the mood of the protagonist in one of my stories. I sort of felt the same things I was describing--his decline into a depth of numbness like he'd never felt before. I don't think I was quite as far gone as him. But I saw an clear and obvious connection between my mood and my protagonist's mood.

So, ever noticed this happening to you? Sort of driv me crazy for a couple days. My character really wasn't feeling so hot.

3 comments:

The One and Only John said...

Yeah, I've had that too once or twice. I tried real hard to place myself in the shoes of my character, and it was very surreal, the emotion was almost as overwhelming as if I was actually there. Once I get around to finishing what it was I wrote, and share it, then I'll talk more about it. I want it to be a surprise.

See if you can do it again.

Minion GIR said...

Yes, it has. Sometimes, not always but sometimes, that's why I put off working on a scene. I know the character is going to go through a lot of nastiness and that I'm going to feel those same emotions.

There was one particularly tough scene in MMG that I was dreading. So I kept writing and writing other stuff to avoid it. Finally, at Fleur's urging, I just wrote it. Dashed it off in about half an hour and then it was done. It needed clean-up, but that doesn't seem to bother me as much as that first draft.

John's right. It's probably a good thing. If you can make yourself cry or laugh or cringe, the reader probably will too.

Nickel Halfwise said...

Aye, it has, many times. I don't know if this makes any sense, but when I am writing--not necessarily the act of lying pencil to paper, or finger to keyboard--then I am my character; I and the character are distinct persons, but we are one; hey, that'd make a good theological analogy....

I get pretty close when I'm reading a good book or watching a good movie too, but nowhere near as strong.

Makes one wonder what all those writers who committed suicide were writing at the time...