As a writer I do occasionally get asked about my 'process'. Tonight, however, I asked myself about my process, as I've started to realize I've got quite a few idiosyncracies when I get to work on something.
When I'm creating art in any form, be it writing, film, screenplay, or music, there's always one constant: music. OK, so we've got that one constant element. But what else?
With art, I start with the medium and go from there. I prefer pre-stretched canvases to paint on because I'm lazy, plus buying materials in bulk is silly. I do about three paintings a year on a good year, so to have tons of canvas and stretcher frames is not at all cost effective unless there's a sudden rush on the market and prices skyrocket. I can kick myself later if that happens. I also adore the scent of oil paints but suck at the actual ability to paint with it. Acrylics are much easier. I'm lazy AND impatient, and acrylics dry faster. I also adore water colors, but again... one of those things I will probably never master but I have a collection of water color paints that I like to take out and fondle every once in a great while. As for paint brushes, I confess I have no clue which brush would work best for what type of paint. I go through the aisle and feel the brush. If it feels like one I would like to use, I buy it. Easy as that. I'm almost certain I'm using water color brushes for acrylic painting, but I'm more concerned with the end results than being a proper artist. Since when did artists adhere to rules anyway?
With music, I've generally got an idea of where I want to go and how I want to accomplish it. Same with film. There's always an end product in my mind, I just need to translate it into the physical world.
On to the writing process.
Here's where I get weird(er). A lot of my stories start out in journals. Not just any journals. They have to have unlined pages, and they have to be interesting to look at. To me each blank book is reminiscent of a block of stone ready to be sculpted. The book or story is already in there, I just have to bring it out of the pages. If I already have a project in mind, I'll try to match the book to it. Typically I like a good Moleskine in which to write. The pages are a good thickness and smoothness, the covers wear well, and they have pockets in the back for when inspiration hits and all I have are napkins to use as paper.I also adore handmade journals from folks on Etsy.
Each character comes forward to tell me his or her story, and I let it flow through me and onto the pages. These days writing in the journal is more of a jumpstart, especially for longer pieces or novellas/novels. Once I get the story going on the written page it moves over to the electronic typed page. For short stories, I stick with the journal until it's done, then edit as I type it into the computer.
When I write dialog, I sort of channel the characters in a way. It feels as if I'm an actor in a film, and I find that my face makes the expressions as I'm writing it down, in my head I can hear the character say the words, and I more or less feel how they're feeling. Anger, love, lust, happiness, sadness all flicker by with the cursor across the screen or in the flash of a pen on paper.
I'd be remiss if I didn't discuss pens here, at such a convenient transition point. I have a collection of pens that would make an office supply store seem woefully lacking. Some pens are antiques, from the mother of pearl dip pen and still-working button-fill vacumatic Parker fountainpen to the more modern fountain pens, rollerballs, and souvenir pens from various places I've been. A website with writing supplies that is damned near akin to pen porn is Levenger. I could peruse and window shop there for hours.
For writing stories, I prefer certain ballpoints mainly. For some stories that are location-based, I'll pick up souvenir pens to write with so it keeps the memory of the place fresh. I can't explain why I have such an involved process, all I can say is it works, so I'm not about to try to fix it and thin out my pen and journal collection.
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