This getting to your personal connection/personal why is important and challenging and meaningful. Sometimes I don't think I feel feelings big enough to write the kinds of powerful things I like to read. But the mining proceeds and the "real real" is in there!
It's definitely in there somewhere! Which, I think, is why so many people do morning pages and journaling--to try to track that ghost down. I just happen to mostly do that process quasi-publicly here--LOL! (And, for the past year, at the top of my manuscripts.)
This is awesome Elayne! There is always a why to a story and a personal connection to a story— even if it may not seem like it on the surface! Which I think is especially the case with humor stories and non-human stories. But they are still based on something real, come from something real. And I love the author connection note at the top of your manuscripts— I think I might just start doing that too. I’m sure it is definitely helpful when revising— keeping you abreast of the heart of your story at all times, why you wrote it, why you are writing it, and why you want it out in the world.
Bridgitte, I totally agree! Nothing comes from "nowhere"! (Though sometimes it takes a while to think of where maybe something came from.) But for me, the author note helps get that process rolling while I'm writing and revising, which seems about right. Sometimes, too, it's getting refined as I start to feel my way forward, just like the story. The other thing I do sometimes is add an actual childhood picture, if I have one. But let me know how it goes for you--I've been doing it for nearly a year now, and I am pretty sold on it now. Of course, YMMV!
This getting to your personal connection/personal why is important and challenging and meaningful. Sometimes I don't think I feel feelings big enough to write the kinds of powerful things I like to read. But the mining proceeds and the "real real" is in there!
It's definitely in there somewhere! Which, I think, is why so many people do morning pages and journaling--to try to track that ghost down. I just happen to mostly do that process quasi-publicly here--LOL! (And, for the past year, at the top of my manuscripts.)
This is awesome Elayne! There is always a why to a story and a personal connection to a story— even if it may not seem like it on the surface! Which I think is especially the case with humor stories and non-human stories. But they are still based on something real, come from something real. And I love the author connection note at the top of your manuscripts— I think I might just start doing that too. I’m sure it is definitely helpful when revising— keeping you abreast of the heart of your story at all times, why you wrote it, why you are writing it, and why you want it out in the world.
Bridgitte, I totally agree! Nothing comes from "nowhere"! (Though sometimes it takes a while to think of where maybe something came from.) But for me, the author note helps get that process rolling while I'm writing and revising, which seems about right. Sometimes, too, it's getting refined as I start to feel my way forward, just like the story. The other thing I do sometimes is add an actual childhood picture, if I have one. But let me know how it goes for you--I've been doing it for nearly a year now, and I am pretty sold on it now. Of course, YMMV!