* I first heard this term from Jennifer Cruise, a long time ago, but here's a cool video current video link
So this has to do with my personal "girls" in the basement, the subconscious trio of story idea mongers -- I can see them and I want to share them with you:
None of which are what I see in my mind, but they come close
The top pic is clearly the bad-ass, I am not a bad-ass, yet, sometimes I wish I were, also, my writing NEEDS a bad-ass, to get things done, no matter the cost. Also someone to blow things up. She likes it when things blow-up.
The second pic is the thinker, she too helps in getting things done, she views the carnage of things gone horribly wrong...and figures out how to move the story forward in between "things getting worse-er."
The third is my dreamer, listening to her own voices and taking leaps of faith and coming up with implausible plots in story-land. Preferably without explosions.
When I stay out of their way, cool type things happen, the story moves forward, things explode, surprises are revealed, characters pop up -- the Master of Swords? Who the hell is this and what does she do? She?... See what I mean?
My foible is refusing to give up total control. I over-think to the point of Not Writing Anything.
Nothing.
If I could get out of my own way and let the girls rule for even a tiny bit, I think I could get so much more written.
I took Candace Havens Fast Draft workshop a few years ago... I have never, ever, everer, written so much in so little time as then. Why didn't I continue to use it? It scared me. No control, I mean things, words, sentences, plot twists came out of my fingertips (certainly not my brain) from nowhere. It was scary.
Which is why I need to try doing it that way again. Just let the girls drive.
What stops you from getting things done? And who are your girls?
So this has to do with my personal "girls" in the basement, the subconscious trio of story idea mongers -- I can see them and I want to share them with you:
None of which are what I see in my mind, but they come close
The top pic is clearly the bad-ass, I am not a bad-ass, yet, sometimes I wish I were, also, my writing NEEDS a bad-ass, to get things done, no matter the cost. Also someone to blow things up. She likes it when things blow-up.
The second pic is the thinker, she too helps in getting things done, she views the carnage of things gone horribly wrong...and figures out how to move the story forward in between "things getting worse-er."
The third is my dreamer, listening to her own voices and taking leaps of faith and coming up with implausible plots in story-land. Preferably without explosions.
When I stay out of their way, cool type things happen, the story moves forward, things explode, surprises are revealed, characters pop up -- the Master of Swords? Who the hell is this and what does she do? She?... See what I mean?
My foible is refusing to give up total control. I over-think to the point of Not Writing Anything.
Nothing.
If I could get out of my own way and let the girls rule for even a tiny bit, I think I could get so much more written.
I took Candace Havens Fast Draft workshop a few years ago... I have never, ever, everer, written so much in so little time as then. Why didn't I continue to use it? It scared me. No control, I mean things, words, sentences, plot twists came out of my fingertips (certainly not my brain) from nowhere. It was scary.
Which is why I need to try doing it that way again. Just let the girls drive.
What stops you from getting things done? And who are your girls?
Pure old procrastination is what stops me sometimes. I am fine with letting first drafts come out fast and furious, and editing later. I don't know that I've thought about specific 'girls'... I'll have it mull it over.
ReplyDeleteMull it over Alexia. I had never thought about it until I read Jennifer Cruise's take on the "girls" then I realized she was on to something! And, yeah, procrastination gets me too. Constantly. Thanks for stopping by!
Delete