Many writers pour their souls into their work, weaving in desires, hopes, and all the messy bits of life. They jot down real-life adventures or the ones they wish they’d had, letting their characters spout off the words they couldn’t muster at the time.
As for me? I’m the complete opposite. My characters and storylines are galaxies away from my own life. I mean, I do like my life (mostly), but you won’t find much of it reflected in my stories. It’s like my imagination has its own postcode.
Some authors start with the big “What if?” questions, but not me. It’s all about the characters, really. They’re the ones who call the shots in my universe, their quirks and flaws driving the plot forward. I think of it like a chessboard where the pieces are all in place, and then I sit back and watch them stumble into all sorts of trouble. I never plan out the whole storyline; my characters wouldn’t stand for it. I might have a few key scenes in mind, but everything else is down to the mood of the moment. Yep, Moody by name, Moody by nature.
The most enjoyable part of writing, for me, is following the story’s twists and turns, allowing myself to be surprised, stunned, and occasionally impressed by what unfolds. Writing, to me, isn’t about fabricating tales and leaving it to the reader to interpret. It’s more akin to uncovering something hidden deep within my psyche, teasing out the fundamental storyline and integrating those smaller narratives to illuminate hidden truths, culminating in that final word, that last picture where everything fits seamlessly into place.
I can’t fathom plotting out every little detail of the storyline beforehand and then mechanically typing it out, word by word, as they drum into you in those creative writing sessions. Where’s the fun in that, where’s the surprise? Why, for the Devil’s horns’ sake, would I even bother? Nah, I prefer to stumble upon the story, uncover it, and then serve it up to the reader in the most unpolished, raw form possible. But hey, that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? Every writer, every reader, every human being sees things differently, and that’s what makes life on this quirky blue planet so darn interesting!