Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Typing and Crying

I don't know if all writers do this--probably not--but I tend to cry a lot while I write. If a scene is even the least bit poignant, I'm dripping tears while I type. I try and write fraught scenes at home. Otherwise, total strangers stop and ask if I'm okay.

I just spent the last two hours weeping, blowing my nose, and typing furiously. I didn't even realize going in that this particular scene was important--but suddenly the book's themes of betrayal and trust were RIGHT THERE and of course I took advantage of it. But since I'm only about halfway through the book (or less), it was only a short, sharp taste of what's to come later.

I guess I'd better lay in a supply of kleenex.

Edit: I should point out, incidentally, that all this weeping has nothing to do with my personal emotions. I feel fine. I think I just have to concentrate my main character's emotions to a really ridiculous degree in order to write about them so that readers feel what the character feels.

4 comments:

Cate Gardner said...

I think I've only teared up once and that was when I tidied up a novel after it had languished for a couple of years in a box file. It really, really is a sad wee tale.

K.C. Shaw said...

That's probably normal, then. I cry at everything while I'm writing, whether or not it's a particularly sad piece.

Monda said...

You go right ahead and cry. I do it all the time when I'm writing, and then again in rewrite.

Sometimes it's difficult to crawl sufficiently far enough into the writing without a little kleenex.

Just ran into you blog, by the way. Nice typewriter!

K.C. Shaw said...

Thanks! I'm glad to know I'm not alone in the crying thing.

I reread the scene I wrote the other night, and I like it--but I didn't cry while reading it. Just writing.