To talk or not to talk

Jul. 23rd, 2004 at 8:20 PM

I have a question for all you creative types. I find when I'm working on a story, until I have at least one finished draft, I'm not comfortable discussing the details of the story or characters or concept. Somehow it feels as thought I'll lose the vitality of the project if I let any of it escape my head. But I know other people thrive on discussion and frequently hash ideas out with their creative friends. So, I'm wondering...

Poll #325411

Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All. Participants: 14

Do you usually talk about your creative projects while they're on the go?

View Answers

Yes

3(21.4%)

4(28.6%)

Depends

7(50.0%)

Comment if you've more to say. :)

mlc

Current Mood: curious

Comments

( 6 comments — Leave a comment )

somedaysawriter

Jul. 23rd, 2004 06:47 pm (UTC)

It depends. If I have enough of the concept fleshed out in notes or in my head, I'll talk about it. I like bouncing ideas of people too.

Now that I think about it, the only person I really talk about projects with is my husband, and I doubt he pays attention to my babble most of the time.

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skutir

Jul. 23rd, 2004 06:59 pm (UTC)

I'm not sure what works better for me... I have depended on the enthusiasm and support of others, esp. other writers, but I have also felt my own interest flag after telling someone my ideas. So I just don't know. Aren't I helpful??? ;-)

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seosaimhthin

Jul. 24th, 2004 08:41 am (UTC)

NEVER. I don't even tell people I write because "oh what do you write?" is the next question and I hate answering it. I'm just glad the term 'urban fantasy' got invented for the times people might not raise an eyebrow and go 'oh...mkay'.

I recall the sheer horror of a University interview - now I didn't like the place and wasn't gonna go but I was still trying to a really good interview. The bloke says "Oh, it says you're a writer... what are you writing now?"

"Er... well, a thing... novel, I guess..."
"Oh, what's it about?"
People with psychic powers fighting wars and stuff... "Oh it's, er, about war and..."
"Oh WAAR, wow, yeah, very 'today', very contemporary, SOOOO has the recent war in Afghanistan influenced you, or the behaviour of politicians in such times, or hey, the masses yeah, the anti-war and pro-war divide yeah...?"

God he went on for ages and AGES. Like I'd been writing something real intelligent. I couldn't bear a) lying, b) pretending I wrote 'contemporary' literary airport-bookshop fodder, so I just said "Well, no, not really, it's a fantasy."

"Oh. Well, moving on..." he says, looking really awkward.

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megancrewe

Jul. 24th, 2004 07:41 pm (UTC)

Oh, I hate trying to summarize story ideas to people, even after they're totally written. Everything always sounds so trite when you squeeze it into a sentence or two. :P It makes me cringe.

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elvenriver

Jul. 24th, 2004 02:15 pm (UTC)

i often feel if i discuss the inspiration, it's like i'm cheating on my muse, and she leaves.

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writerpo

Jul. 24th, 2004 07:31 pm (UTC)

It depends on how I feel about the project. Sometimes it needs to incubate inside my skull for a while before I can even put finger to keyboard, let alone talk about it. Other times I feel the need to live by King's advice of waiting until the second draft before discussing it. And sometimes a project seems so overwhelming, I just have to talk, talk, talk it out until I can make sense of it all.

It varies. Then again, I vary as well. So it works out.

---Peter

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( 6 comments — Leave a comment )