Two Places At Once

The writing process has been on my mind today, so I thought I'd share this:

One of the odd things I've noticed about crafting fiction is how often you have to be in two places at once. You benefit from a kind of awareness that holds separate and sometimes conflicting thoughts in mind.

Can you live in the heads and hearts of your characters without losing objectivity? Can you be aware of your craft and yet stay in the moment of the scene you're writing? Can you write commercially without losing sight of what appeals to you personally? Can you want what your hero wants, and still be willing to hurt him if it's in the best interest of the story? And perhaps most of all: Can you love what you're writing enough to work on it passionately to the very end, and yet be uncompromising enough to keep that love from blinding you or making you complacent?

It's a valuable skill, but it sometimes feels like a kind of multiple personality disorder.

Comments

[sd]

Nick

I know from reading things about Everfree this book had been very heard for you. Tell us how you write?
Will you have time off next week from
the book or you taking your work with you?

[Nick Sagan]

Everfree was definitely a challenge. I'll be sure to talk about that in the weeks and months ahead. "How I write" would make a good blog entry, and I'll give some thought to addressing that soon. And though I'll be taking a little work with me, I'm looking forward to relaxing, participating in "Fórum Fantástico" and exploring Lisbon. Should be a lot of fun.

[sd]

nick

Its should be a lot of fun. Can't
wait for your posting on the trip.

[sd]

Nick

Been working on the book heard?

[Elizabeth]

You know, I never really thought of it that way, but I suppose its true. And it's good to know that professional writers have the same problems that I, an aspiring writer, have.