Most of the people close to me write. We all have wildly different methods for writing, varying experiences with this creative art. It is extremely fun to talk about and learn new ways I might try to approach things, or even hear about techniques that I know will not work for me.
When I’m writing, it’s like I’m watching scenes from a movie and trying to get everything I notice down as quickly as possible. We even do multiple takes if I need to figure out more of what a particular character is feeling or thinking, or if the action in the scene doesn’t make sense. Sometimes, the characters break the fourth wall, or if a scene is too intense, I’ll imagine that it’s a movie set, and I’m the director, and I’ll yell, “Cut! Great job, everyone!” and we’ll all shake it out before moving on.
I also sometimes have meetings or conversations with characters in my head. I might write them out or just let them play out in my head. Either way, it helps me learn more about them, the story, and my writing. It immerses me in the story, and keeps me excited to write it down.
What about you? Do you ever interview your characters to get to know them better? What’s your writing experience like?
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