Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: 4 Random Realisations About Writing

There's a couple of random things about writing that I've realised lately while working on my Work-In-Progress (WIP.)

I dunno whether this is me becoming more self-aware of my patchwork writing process - 

(I write in snippets and then attempt to stick them together... with varying results) 

- or whether everyone knows/has realised these things and I'm just now catching up (let me know!), but I figure'd I'd blog about them anywho! 😅

1. The weird exposition is actually my characters explaining my story to me

...Because I have literally no idea what's going on, tbh.

So when they're like, "The reason why this is happening is because..." it's 'cos they realise I don't know.

And they have to explain it to me. (And I can take it out of anything resembling a final draft!)

Via Giphy

I also sometimes write snippets that are more like explanations of something - like one of the characters' art pieces and what they're typically like - rather than a piece of actual prose.

And I figure this is stuff my brain needs me to figure out so I can use it in future snippets, rather than just using it as it is.

2. Sometimes you catch characters at weird moments.

And if one (or more) of your snippets is literally your characters arguing over weird YouTube videos, you don't have to include it as part of the narrative!

Via Giphy

(Unless it turns out to be relevant later on, ofc.)

3. Characters will just waltz in and invite themselves to the party, and you will not be able to get rid of them.

I have something of an ensemble* cast in my WIP - the most vivid characters are the ones who literally popped into existence out of nowhere. 

*check me out with my posh vocab! Also, the word ensemble is delicious #NowYaKnow

Via Giphy

They've actually shoved some of my original characters out of the way as Main Characters (MCs) at this point. 

I am powerless to stop them.

4. I want to write something that is so beautiful that it justifies its own existence.

You may or may not know that I overthink a lot. 

Like, there is very few existential crises I have not had at this point in my life. Some of them I have on a weekly, or even daily, basis.

This includes many, many, writerly existential crises.

So something hit me (metaphorically) the other day: I want to write something so beautiful that I don't question why I wrote it - I want it to be its own reason. 

Like a Botticelli painting or something. If Botticelli paintings included ghosts faffing around 21st Century Wales. 

(...OK, I would legit. love to see that Botticelli painting though, not even gonna lie.)

I have no idea whether that's even possible (especially given the level of self-critical that I typically am...) but it's a goal, right? 😅

So, is this stuff that people already know and I'm just now catching up on?

Do your characters ever faff in from nowhere and start to talk about YouTube videos?

Talk to me! 😅💬

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Related Reading:

• Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: Oh, the Melodrama!

• Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: One of My Side Characters Is Pouting!

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