I am having a bit of a dry spell when it comes to creative writing, which is neither unusual or much of a bother.
When the desert decides to take up residence in my head, I sometimes power through and other times I find “less creative” ways to keep writing (like this post). I don’t let it bother me when the ideas go fooom and I am left with a cranium filled mostly with fluff. But I do keep writing when that happens because I invariably discover something I want to write about as I am “just writing”.
I have a vague notion running around in my head, though. Variations on the phrase “Mother Sun, Sister Moonlight” are rattling around my head. “Lady Moon”, “Lady Moonlight” are further variations on the theme, although “Mother Sun” is pretty much settled in my subconscious. I have no real clue what my head is trying to wrap itself around, and I usually try to stay out of the way until it figures it out when these vague notions race around like a kitten with a case of zoomies. You never know where that kitten will end up.
Because there is a new prequel out for the Witcher books, its author, Andrzej Sapkowski has been shoved into the limelight (mostly against his will) and he did a recently Ask Me Anything on Reddit. While many fans might be put out by his cantankerous responses, I found his stubborn refusal to speculate to be refreshing. Unlike many fantasy writers, he doesn’t do worldbuilding without a plot-motivated reason. He doesn’t map out what happens to the characters both before and after, and he doesn’t signal when his character might be unreliable witnesses. So, for many of the fans trying to get the backstory to some of his characters, he simply said, “I don’t know. It wasn’t relevant to the plot and the reader doesn’t need to know that information, so I didn’t develop a character backstory for _____.” It’s an unusual response and you can tell from the comments elsewhere on the internet that folks were a little put out by that kind of answer.
But it makes sense. If something isn’t relevant to the plot, does a writer need to spend the time on an exercise of developing a backstory? As long as you understand the plot-specific motives of the character, you don’t need to know what happened in their years leading up to the plot. It doesn’t necessarily add depth or value.
Because getting caught up in details is one of my prose “blocks”, I really should think harder about his approach towards storytelling and maybe adopt that general thinking when it comes to backstory. If it is not plot-relevant, then skip it. If it seems worth coming back to at a later date, then it can be a new story.
And I particularly liked this response with respect to him having a larger internet presence in the future:
I value my privacy too much to expose it to the vanity fair that is the internet and social media. Which sometimes, excuse me, very much resembles also a carnival of stupidity.
I have grown to appreciate his writing style and personality. Maybe there is a “birds of a feather” element, as I find I am curmudgeonly about some of the same things as he is. But, I grant you, he is not classically charismatic.
But neither am I, as I have discovered over the years. In fact, if it was DnD, I probably only have about 3 points in charisma. Maybe as little as 2 points. Oh well.
13 responses to “digging in the middens”
Refreshing to see someone both answer honestly yet draw a boundary that people cannot cross. I have heard of Witcher – never read or watched it but I’ll admit to putting book 1 on my tbr list after I read the blurb just know.
I wouldn’t worry about the dessert – sometimes you just need to write for yourself 😉 Enjoy your crochet 😊 from your other post is sounds like it has you hooked!
It’s not high literature, mind you, but it is a fun set of adventures. The first two books are short stories that hint at details of the following “saga”.
I wouldn’t waste my time on the television show. As soon as they decided they were smarter than the source material, it went to hell quicker than a Lovecraft tale in the movies.
I was first introduced to the stories in the videogame based on the books and they have largely tried to keep true to the source material while telling their own story about what happened afterwards.
Hope you enjoy it.
I’ve been thinking about taking a break myself. Just write to write, and not to publish. Seems like a good way to recharge/come up with new ideas. I’m not much of a fan of putting myself out there.
There’s something in that. You’ll have to let us know if you do so we didn’t wonder about you. 🐦⬛
Will do.
If you’re having a break, no problem, go for it. I don’t write books continually, it usually takes time for me to come up with a new idea; plus when I do have a book on the go I don’t write if the ideas aren’t flowing. If I try to force it, nothing good ever comes up. I still write blogs, book reviews, letters, lists etc, so I’m keeping my hand in, as are you. As to leaving out what’s not relevant to the plot, I fully agree, and that doesn’t apply just to backstory. Someone commented that I was brave, in my debut novel where the female protagonist is bedridden and dying of cancer, because I didn’t give details of the medication which her care nurse was administering. I didn’t see it as brave, rather that I didn’t need to give details of her meds. She had cancer, she was dying, she was telling her life story and the nurse was listening and seeing to her patient’s needs as and when. The details weren’t relevant, although had too much or too little of some drug contributed to a change in the woman’s condition then they would have been; but that didn’t happen, so there was no need to name them. End of. Rant over, enjoy your week with or without creative writing. 🙂
I don’t have a problem with my “dry spells”, but I don’t take breaks. Small breaks tend to become big breaks and I like to keep in the habit of stringing words together, even if it is mostly blither-blather. Not that my workplace would allow me to put down my pen anyway. I’d be in the poorhouse in short order if I tried that. 🤣
I think as writers in general tend to focus too much on details that don’t enhance the story and don’t pertain to the plot. It’s on the forefront of my thinking because of that book that I abandoned earlier in the week was filled with examples as to why it is less important to give abundant details than it is to give meaningful reason for something to happen at all without it feeling like an “oh, by the way, everyone lives because of a convenient unmentioned thing appears in someone’s pocket that wouldn’t normally be in someone’s pocket just for the sake of having it in one’s pocket.”
Mostly, though, I’m just thinking out loud here and, woe to you readers who have traversed that wasteland of mine.
😂😂😂 At which point I’ll leave you to your wasteland!
Lacking inspiration used to bother me when I was younger – probably just the youthful martyrdom of ‘washed up undiscovered genius’ phase! Then I realised that it’s all part of the process.
I’m not a massive fantasy fan, but I appreciate where he’s coming from; if it’s not relevant why write it. I’ve read too many novels which could do with bring 100+ pages shorter. Possibly why I prefer a well crafted short story.
Keep turning over those rocks!
It was similar for me as well, including the youthful martyrdom part. Plus, I learned that don’t need to be a genius (or even be very good) to keep writing. It is the act that I enjoy, and I discovered that the goal I once had was not really all that desirable once I got to thinking about the actual implications and consequences swirling around the idea.
The Witcher books are some that you might enjoy. Geralt, the protagonist, is less swashbuckler and more a grumpy old guy who happens to be good with a pointy bit of metal. But I’m not pushy about you giving the collections of short stories a whirl, just commenting that I can see you enjoying it more than you might think.
And, as time goes on, I am leaning more towards short stories myself, at least with my own fiction. If I could actually get my ducks in a row, I would be working on a collection of related short stories intended to eventually be tied together with a framed narrative, but standalone as individual pieces. But my ducks are hardly in the same pond, let alone in a row.
And then they fly south!!
It takes a while (well personally anyway) to appreciate that it is the process rather than the outcome which is more rewarding. And it not being a money making thing, the pressure is off!
I shall add the Withcher books (I’m assuming there is a first one to kick things off) to my ‘to read’ list. Nothing ventured, as they say.
Try Last Wish if you venture into the books. Short stories with a framed narrative, helps provide a frame of reference for the rest of the saga if it ends up being your cup of tea. If not, then minimal investment on your part.
Thanks for that. I shall take note and, at some point, get back to you.