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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

My Writing Process: Act 1


I will now do a series on my writing process, per the suggestion of the lurvely Jade. I jumped excitedly when she mentioned it before I realized that writing about writing on a writing-themed blog should have been obvious. But I'm not an obvious kind of gal. So, anyways:

How Sara Writes: A Play in Multiple Acts
(I find myself making plays out of the most random things since reading Eyes Like Stars. Oh, I'm the only one who does that?)

ACT ONE: A Storm of the Brain

Our protagonist, Sara, enters from stage right. She approaches a Big Red Desk at center stage. She may or may not be skipping.
Sara: I have the BEST IDEA EVER. It's giggly and romancy and makes me happy inside. And there's this one scene that I see so vividly...wow. Just, wow. It's brilliant, I say. BRILLIANT.

Sara sits at Big Red Desk and scribbles furiously in a small notebook. She fills at least six pages with chicken-scratch notes before leaning back in the chair and grinning.
Sara: This will be GOOD. I can feel it. Like, Harry Potter level good. Yeah. *giggles*

Sara exits stage left, definitely skipping now.

This is how it always begins: an idea. An idea so freakishly awesome that I HAVE to write it. Usually it isn't fast; usually the idea simmers for a few weeks with me jotting random spurts of illegible notes. Eventually all those illegible notes kind of *click*, and out pops a definitive storyline that makes me squee. But it always begins with an idea and chicken-scratching. Seriously. My handwriting is the object of much verbal abuse.

And....because I'm shameless:



That's just funny.

And this one is actually pretty good:



Everyone together now: GET OFF OF YOUTUBE, SARA. Get back to writing Rechanneled. Go. Now.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved both of those! The first one made me laugh and the second made me nearly cry--probably 'cause I remember the Notebook and I bawl like a baby when I watch that movie. Every. Single. Time.

Anonymous said...

Oh and I'm fairly similar in my writing process too--I always jot down my ideas in my little notebook. And then I can never read them.

Mariah Irvin said...

Too late, I'm officially stuck on YouTube for the rest of the night :)

I find it amusing to imagine you skipping towards a red desk. I dunno why. Maybe 'cuz I'm almost asleep.

Unknown said...

Ah, the idea. I love the idea! It's like my favorite part of the whole process. Sigh.

(I'm choosing to ignore the rest of this post.)

Jade said...

My idea-process is fairly similar to yours, except that I stalk instead of skip and glare instead of giggle. I'm also in a fire cupboard scratching away on the back of an incident report form. Perhaps, not so similar then...

Frankie Diane Mallis said...

OMG those were so good and can totally relate to shiny new idea!

Donna Gambale said...

Those videos were awesome! (I was just about to email Frankie the link to this post, and lo and behold, she just commented above me!)

Julie Dao said...

The first video cracked me up! Hilarious. And I could easily substitute myself into your idea scene because that's exactly what happens to me too!

Mariah Irvin said...

I'm back again...

What cartoon is Mr. Darcy from? It's killing me not knowing!

I've been desperate to watch P&P for the last few days, but I don't have the DVD :(

Hayley Lovell said...

Aww those crossovers were so cute! And I pown every single last one of those disney movies oh to be young again...And my writing process is somewhat similar, I'm sure your hand writing and mine are one in the same. My mom says I should become a doctor or a lawyer because their writing is unreadable too! But that's way too much school, I'm sure you'd agree, but I can see you as a doctor, a very fun upbeat doctor.

Hayley Lovell said...

Oh Mariah, he's from Pocahauntus(sp?) 2: Journey to the New World.

Sherrie Petersen said...

I'm always jotting down notes for brilliant ideas that come to me in the car, when I'm falling asleep...now I've discovered the notes function on my iPod touch and the voice memo thing is great too. So many ideas!!

Sara Raasch said...

Dara -- The second video makes me get all misty too. Is it weird that the cartoon version makes me sadder than the live version?

Mariah -- Oh, me skipping is very amusing. I forgot to say I'm dressed like a pirate while doing it.

Natalie -- Probably for the best that you ignored the videos. Too much distraction. It's a great swirling vortex of time-suction.

Jade -- A fire cupboard? In my head it looks like the cupboard under the stairs in HP...is it that fun?

Frankie -- Oh I forgot to call it Shiny New Idea! From henceforth it shall be called that.

Donna -- ESP runs wild in these parts. Stick around; you never know what other fun powers youll attract.

Julie -- I feel as though my writing process isn't terribly unique; but it's still fun to see how many people use the same methods :)

Mariah part deux -- He's from the second Pocahontas. He's John Ralph, I believe. Much hotter than John Smith, if I do say so...

Hayley -- People always tell me I should be a doctor too. But blood? Ew. No way, man.

Solvang -- the iPod touch has a notes function?? Must. Resist. Buying. One...

Jade said...

Not exactly. It's more like this big cupboard which has extinguishers and plastic hard-hats in it. It's rather drafty in there. I would like a HP cupboard though.

Kate said...

Great post on writing. And I loved the videos. I've never seen The Notebook.