Someone recently said (and I’m really sorry I can’t remember who it was) that a writer’s brain is like a junk drawer.
It’s true. We’ve got character flotsam and setting jetsam floating around in there like nobody’s business, waiting for the day when they’ll find a home in a story. Ideas just rattle around until the day when two or more crash together to make something new, and we can pull out the tangled ball of string and paper-clips out and go, “Yeah, I can McGuyver something out of that.”
It’s stuff that many people would throw away, but we train ourselves to remember.
And there’s the dialogue. I know I’m not the only one who finds myself in a situation where suddenly comments from unknown characters are floating in my head, talking about what’s happening. I don’t usually know exactly where they’ll fit into a story, but they hang out, filling the junk drawer, waiting.
This one is re-surfacing for me today:
Him: “I don’t get why you girls make such a big deal about it. Cramps can’t be that bad.”
Her: “No? Imagine that the Incredible Hulk is grabbing your uterus and wringing it out like a damp dish rag, and you’ll have some idea of what it feels like.”
Him: *snort* “I don’t have a uterus.”
Her: “That’s right, you don’t. So just shut up about it.”
Something tells me she’s the one with the cramps. 😉
In any case, here I sit on the morning of the November 9 NaNoThon (or whatever they’re calling it), chugging a hot tea and Advil cocktail, about to start on my to-do list. It’s like I’m the protagonist in a story where my goal is to write, and the author just glommed on to the whole “throw obstacles at your protagonist” thing.
We’re going to visit the in-laws around supper time. AJ is working, so I have kids to keep busy all day (and I should probably feed them, too). I have laundry to do, suitcases to pack, birthday cards to fill out, cat litter to change, scenes to plan, and various aches and pains making me want to say “screw the world” and crawl back in bed.
Are we going to place bets on how much writing I get done today?
*cracks knuckles*
*finishes tea*
Let’s do this.
disregard the prologue 
November 9th, 2013 at 10:33 am
You’ll do the 1600 I’m sure. *high fives* (you have 300 right here)
November 9th, 2013 at 10:34 am
If only I counted blog posts and tweets! I’d probably be almost done by now. 🙂
November 9th, 2013 at 10:40 am
I won’t tell
November 9th, 2013 at 10:38 am
This is so true. I marvel at the way you have of putting my thoughts on paper. it also makes me feel less alone in this world. There is so much story rattling around in my brain, it is a wonder that i am able to do anything at all besides write, and I am not even doing naNo…just trying to write this next novel the best way i can…and on my own time 🙂
November 9th, 2013 at 10:42 am
Do you write story ideas/characters/random stuff down, or leave it to rattle around in the drawer?
November 9th, 2013 at 10:45 am
Since using Scrivener, first chance I get I add my new ideas into my index card synopsis. Then they are there when i go to the editor to write. That is I don’t forget important stuff/ideas that I wanted to include in a scene. I haven’t really learned to write in notes and annotations yet. Don’t know that I will use those features. For now, this works for me.
November 9th, 2013 at 10:46 am
Yeah, I don’t use any of the fancy features either, after three years with it. 🙂
November 9th, 2013 at 1:55 pm
Oh, you’ll get a few thousand words done easy Kate! LOL. Good luck 🙂
And try to remember to feed the kids. 🙂
November 9th, 2013 at 2:05 pm
Crap, I knew I forgot something! Thanks!
November 9th, 2013 at 6:54 pm
Ha ha … I now think I understand a bit better those monthly cramps that women must suffer through. The Hulk wringing out your uterus like a damp dish rag. Ouch! I don’t have a uterus but still that sounds painful. Hmm … from what little I know of you, I think you’ll get it all done! 🙂
November 9th, 2013 at 7:25 pm
Just imagine him doing it to your lower intestine. Close enough. 🙂
November 9th, 2013 at 7:27 pm
LOL. That sounds horrific.
November 11th, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Love that dialogue! I’m sure you’ll find a place for it!
How’d you do? I’m reading this on the 11th, so I’m sure you cracked that 1666 words. I’m having a difficult time just writing one page today. It’s probably because I’m hungry and want a chocolate chip cookie. Yeah. That must be it.