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| Author |
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| 15 new of 23 responses total. |
arianna
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response 9 of 23:
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Feb 6 19:31 UTC 2001 |
I hadn't written anything in months till I moved again, and now the new lump
of experiences are giving themselves words. <shrug> so I concur.
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orinoco
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response 10 of 23:
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Feb 7 01:57 UTC 2001 |
Woohoo! Vindication! <g>
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lumen
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response 11 of 23:
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Feb 7 02:14 UTC 2001 |
resp:8 I would agree with that. Depression, frustration,
disappointment, and mundane days have made for a dearth of creativity.
Note: I compose *here*, and for years, rarely have I written anything
to paper. Somehow, I can't compete anymore, at least, not right now.
<quiet jealous murmur>
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brighn
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response 12 of 23:
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Feb 7 03:49 UTC 2001 |
For my part, I disagree. If you're out having new experiences, you don't have
time to write. *shrug*
Writing about experiences sounds too much like "What I did on my summer
vacation" inspiration. Then again, I haven't written much of late either.
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aquarum
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response 13 of 23:
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Feb 7 08:20 UTC 2001 |
Somehow, brighn, I doubt that most of the poets and authors throughout history
would agree with you. Indeed, it seems to be a general consensus among
authors that experience stimulates inspiration.
Here's a modern example of an author for you, one who publishes something like
two novels a year, popular ones, and yet manages to find time to ride
horseback, rehabilited wild birds, raise and train for hawking other birds,
raise still more birds for housepets, go to racing school (cars), participate
in the Society for Creative Anachronism, be a volunteer fireman, practice a
Pagan religion, travel to signings and conferences, AND write her novels and
short stories, AND have a homelife.
Personally, I would think Mercedes Lackey's a good counter example, just off
the top of my head. But I could also talk about Rita Mae Brown, the late
great Isaac Asimov, the likewise Robert Heinlein, and any number of very good,
and quite prolific, authors who do LOTS of things other than write, and bring
that outside experience to their stories.
Only people who count writing among the least of their hobbies don't find time
to write because they're "too busy." Those who write because of profession,
vocation, or passion MAKE time to write, because they must.
Nobody here is a professional, or, I suppose, trying to be one, so that lets
out the first two options, but I tend to assume that people who write poetry
write from passion. Either it's there or it isn't, and if it's there, then
it's not a matter of not having time. You simply do it.
Passion comes from life, so the best way to get passion moving is to go out
and live life.
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brighn
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response 14 of 23:
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Feb 7 16:34 UTC 2001 |
Mercedes Lackey? I wanted examples of worthwhile authors, not hack writers.
(Actually, I didn't want examples at all.) That aside, though, I can't see
how the bulk of Asimov's or Heinlein's writings (both fine authors, who did
lead active lives outside of their careers) could have come from their own
experiences, at least not directly. I don't believe Asimov ever encountered
killer robots, and I doubt Heinlein ever met a Martian.
Yeah, yeah, go out, live life, sure. That may be where inspiration originates
for some people, I guess, but I suppose my reaction was based on a sense I
sometimes get that all inspiration comes from real life. It doesn't, by a long
shot, and quality of writing doesn't necessarily correspond to how engaged
the author is with "reality."
Don't be so sure that nobody here is or desires to be a professional writer.
I have made money at writing, and I know that others here have been trained.
I'm not sure how relevant that detail is anyway.
"Passion comes from life, so the best way to get passion moving is to go out
and live life." -- Great for a Hallmark card, but philosophically vacuous
(both non-sequitorial and tautological, on different linguistic levels).
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orinoco
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response 15 of 23:
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Feb 7 18:20 UTC 2001 |
Interesting.
I don't think I was trying to say that there's anything inherently, uh,
logogenic about new experiences. And if I _was_ trying to say that, I'm gonna
stop trying right now. <g> Seems like for every inspired-by-life author
there's some guy like Trollope who just sits down and spews words every
morning before going to the same job, for decades on end.
I also don't think I was trying to say that you should go out and write
_about_ new experiences, necessarily. When i find myself in new
circumstances, I guess I tend to notice lots of details I wouldn't have
noticed on an average day, and for me inspiration tends to come from little
details.
Oh, and "YMMV."
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aquarum
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response 16 of 23:
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Feb 7 18:33 UTC 2001 |
*shrug* Okay, skip Lackey (although I like her stuff, at least as brain
candy, and so do lots of people). Take Heinlein and Asimov. Surely, if
not actual Martians, then the "Martian"
philosophy came from real life. So did people's reactions to the killer
robots (or, more usually in the little I've read, well-programmed robots who
are incapable of killing) in Asimov's.
I wasn't necessarily talking about *new* experiences, mind you, but about any
experiences.
At any rate, I mostly objected to your statement that people who are out
having new experiences or living life are too busy to write.
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brighn
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response 17 of 23:
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Feb 7 20:46 UTC 2001 |
Actually, a significant part of the "Martian" philosophy is illegal to discuss
positively in Michigan (yes, DISCUSS), but that's my own issue. =}
And Ori should know by now that I was just being contrariwise. If he'd said
that people should wall themselves up and avoid interactions in order to find
time to write, I'd've told him to go out and live life and let that become
what he had to say.
I guess HAL was the big killer computer thingie, and that's Clarke. Asimov
had the nicey-nice robots in I, Robot, etc. Although I though they went
haywire. *shrug*
Logogenic? Such a word, you're going to make me horny, Ori.
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flem
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response 18 of 23:
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Feb 7 21:14 UTC 2001 |
FWIW, I'd suggest you just don't worry about it, Jon. Creativity happens,
or it doesn't. Trying to force it is just begging for frustration. Now,
if you've an idea but can't seem to get it into words, that's different.
Then you're just another tortured artist. :) But if you just don't have
any ideas, relax. Don't worry about it. Do something else, read some
good books, whatever. Sooner or later, the old juices will start
flowing again. :)
Then of course, there's my own observation: I'm a lot more creative and
inspired and such when I'm unhappy than when I'm content.
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brighn
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response 19 of 23:
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Feb 7 21:56 UTC 2001 |
I must be in bleedin' ecstacy, then. ;}
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orinoco
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response 20 of 23:
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Feb 9 18:31 UTC 2001 |
Okay, I'll bite, Paul (re: Heinlein, not re: "logogenic." Sorry to
disappoint):
What part of the martian philosophy is illegal to discuss? Why?
---
I've noticed what flem mentions, too -- I do write more when I'm unhappy.
A lot more. Judging from the themes we get a lot of in this conference, I
think most of us are the same way.
Maybe a year ago, I noticed that most of my poetry was on exactly those
subjects that I hate to read other people's poetry about: romantic
frustration, Why Life Is Pain, and the occasional love song.
Unfortunately, noticing that had the effect of making it damned difficult
for me to write at all, since when I started writing on one of those
topics, I'd stop myself.
So: thoughts on _channeling_ inspiration? Is it possible to intentionally
choose a subject to have ideas about? Would it be desirable if you could?
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brighn
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response 21 of 23:
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Feb 9 18:43 UTC 2001 |
It's illegal in the state of Michigan to promote polygamy as a viable
lifestyle.
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arianna
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response 22 of 23:
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Feb 9 21:02 UTC 2001 |
"channeling" -- sounds like a reference to the Muse. (;
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orinoco
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response 23 of 23:
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Feb 10 22:51 UTC 2001 |
Well, okay. So pretend I actually said what I _meant_ to say, yes?... :)
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