C. S. Rickard

Archive for the ‘voice’ Category

I love the creative process. I really do.

I can’t convey the high I get when I’m writing or thinking through a scene and all of a sudden my mind takes off! It focuses on one, little kernel of information and sprints through a maze of thoughts morphing, merging and creating new variations or themes until it finally stops. Heart pumping with anticipation, I grab the new thought before it vanishes, then stand in awe at the evolution of that one little kernel that started it all.

I find it an absolutely amazing experience.

The process of writing is a fascinating one. Many people outline scenes or create one-line statements per chapter to keep them on target. I simply can’t do that. If I did, my mind and creativity would whither and blow away.

I definitely fall into the second category. Those who sit down with a blank screen (or paper, depending upon your medium of choice) with a general idea. In my case, I knew the overall story I wanted to tell, and I knew how it would end. In fact, I had the end clearly envisioned in my mind before I wrote a single word.

Writing the first draft was like test driving a new car in a new country. I didn’t know the roads, but I knew how to drive, where I wanted to go and generally how to get there. Along the way I found which roads were dead-ends, which ones were really windy and took me too far out of the way, and which ones took a bit longer, but the scenery was beautiful and well worth the extra travel time. I met some wonderful people on those roads as well as those I’d rather forget.

The first revision I thought would simply be an effort of cutting out the dead-ends and wayward routes and focusing on the direct path with a few scenic detours along the way.

That isn’t all that’s happening.

As I revise, images and details are emerging in my head that didn’t exist before. I’m discovering a depth to the cultures I’m writing about. A history is emerging I wasn’t aware of, along with some interesting myths and beliefs. The more I write, the more solid my characters become. I’m noticing quirks in them that I don’t remember creating. Attitudes and prejudices are becoming more substantial.

They are becoming real.

But now I wonder…isn’t hearing a bunch of voices in your head called schizophrenia? Maybe that’s only if you aren’t a writer.

Wow…long time, no post. Summer was crazy with work, as I mentioned multiple times in my previous posts. Everything’s caught up now, so I can resume my blogging. Unfortunately, this tends to be the first thing I drop when time becomes tight.

Let’s see, first up is the Worldcon report. Montreal was wonderful. I’m not much of a city person, but I really enjoyed the european flair: loved the cafe’s and patisseries (yummm) and the architecture in old town Montreal was amazing. The conference was interesting. I attended multiple sessions pretty much back-to-back each day. Friday my enthusiasm had been almost sucked dry with the quality of sessions, but the last one that day made the rest well worth the wait. It turned out to be the trend for the rest of the conference. Not that all of the sessions were bad, rather most of the ones I attended didn’t dig into details as I was hoping. Instead they tended to glaze over topics or discuss basics when I was ready for the next level. However, there were many people attending who thoroughly enjoyed most of the sessions I was in and seemed to get a lot out of it. I think it just depends on where you are in your writing and research of publishing.

I got to meet a few author’s whose books I’ve read, which was nice. I enjoyed the sessions with Patrick Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson. I found I got a lot out of those panels. Of course, all of their books I own are on my kindle, so getting an autograph wasn’t possible unless I purchased another book. Ah, one of the downsides of e-books I hadn’t considered. Still, I prefer e-books to paperback/hardcover for shear quantity I can carry and store. Not to mention they save a few trees!

On the personal writing front, I finally, FINALLY have found my main character’s voice! It’s only taken about 2 years, multiple edits, and numerous growls of frustration. I’m still honing it, but at least I can hear her and feel her now. Up till this point, it’s been a real struggle for me. I think one of my biggest blocks with her has been her name, as stupid as I know that sounds. I really liked the name I had for her, but it didn’t fit with this world. I kept telling myself it could work and ignored the fact that it wasn’t. Grudgingly, I decided to try writing the first chapter with a name common to this world and what do you know? I suddenly found her personality seeping into mind as I wrote. After a few pages I stopped, re-read what I wrote, then began to kick myself for waiting so long to change her name! Oh well, it’s all good. I think lessons learned the hard way end up making you so much better.