Thus Spake Ramona
Jun. 1st, 2004 03:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pjthompsonYou see, I've got two novels set in Dos Lunas County. The first one I've talked about in this here blog—the one I'm thinking of stringing together from some stories I wrote a couple of years back, that I'm thinking of calling Son of A Wayward Moon. But Tara thinks I should call it Son of A Wanton Moon, right Tara? ;-) So I don't know what that one's eventually going to be called.
Anyway, the other novel which got about 230 pages done before it went on hiatus, is called Venus In Transit. This novel has a prominent secondary character named Ramona. Ramona's also got a short story called Ramona! The Chickens! which was the basis of the novel—really, the basis of the whole Dos Lunas cycle—that never quite got done, either. So Ramona is not an unimportant character, but she is a frustrated one because she's never really got to have her whole say about anything.
The thing is, she's now invaded Son of A Whatever-the-Hell. Big time. I was trying to finish a story which is central to the story arc of the novel's hero, JK. And in steps Ramona, just blabbing away—and she won't shut up. She insists she's got something important to say about this story when to me she's looking like a big tangent and distraction. And no matter what I try to work around her and get back to JK, she grabs me by the collar, points to herself and says, "Focus on me!"
Because I'm one of those cursed organic writers, I can never be sure if a tangent is a tangent or if the tangent is really my subconscious telling me something about the story I need to know. I can never be sure if finishing the tangent will help me see the story in a completely new light, or if it's just a hijacking in process. Whichever it is, I'm afraid Ramona is not going to shut up until I let her have her say.
Sometimes characters do not care a fig about my carefully laid out writerly plans. Sometimes they go on talking and hijacking and distracting until I finally give in and pay attention to them. Sometimes some of my best work has come out of these character strong arm tactics. Sometimes I wonder who's really writing whom in this great big wacky world.
It's a scary place inside my brain. At least that's what my mind elves tell me.
Anyway, the other novel which got about 230 pages done before it went on hiatus, is called Venus In Transit. This novel has a prominent secondary character named Ramona. Ramona's also got a short story called Ramona! The Chickens! which was the basis of the novel—really, the basis of the whole Dos Lunas cycle—that never quite got done, either. So Ramona is not an unimportant character, but she is a frustrated one because she's never really got to have her whole say about anything.
The thing is, she's now invaded Son of A Whatever-the-Hell. Big time. I was trying to finish a story which is central to the story arc of the novel's hero, JK. And in steps Ramona, just blabbing away—and she won't shut up. She insists she's got something important to say about this story when to me she's looking like a big tangent and distraction. And no matter what I try to work around her and get back to JK, she grabs me by the collar, points to herself and says, "Focus on me!"
Because I'm one of those cursed organic writers, I can never be sure if a tangent is a tangent or if the tangent is really my subconscious telling me something about the story I need to know. I can never be sure if finishing the tangent will help me see the story in a completely new light, or if it's just a hijacking in process. Whichever it is, I'm afraid Ramona is not going to shut up until I let her have her say.
Sometimes characters do not care a fig about my carefully laid out writerly plans. Sometimes they go on talking and hijacking and distracting until I finally give in and pay attention to them. Sometimes some of my best work has come out of these character strong arm tactics. Sometimes I wonder who's really writing whom in this great big wacky world.
It's a scary place inside my brain. At least that's what my mind elves tell me.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-02 09:31 am (UTC)Right! I like Chinese soup.
And you do realize, don't you, that Ramona's only being insistent because she saw that it worked so well for Hortensia. You've set a precadent there, my girl.
An insistent voice is so, so much better than no voice at all. I can't live with silence inside my head :-)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-02 04:41 pm (UTC)Oh yeah, Hortensia taught Ramona some tricks, clearly. I keep telling her, "Ramona, all that stuff has nothing to do with the story I'm trying to tell." And she says, "But it has to do with _me._ I need to be treated with respect." "All right," I say, "but no 30k novellas, please." Ramona shrugs and gets a look on her face that's half-coy, half-peeved. "We'll see."
Me?
Date: 2004-06-02 12:42 pm (UTC)Re: Me?
Date: 2004-06-02 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-02 01:26 pm (UTC)Every once in a while, I'll be driving somewhere new with my younger brother, and the directions won't be all that specific. I tend just to follow my instincts, while he gets kind of nervous and fidgets in the passenger seat. What do I tell him? "If we find out I'm wrong, we can just turn around and go back."
Let Ramona drive for a while. You can always doubleback if you have to.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-02 02:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-02 04:46 pm (UTC)Yep--I think I'm going to have to let her drive. Or rather, drive her where she's got to go. She's got the gun, after all. :-)