More conversations with my brain

[babarnett]

Oh, brain, must we have the same conversation with every first draft?

ME: Ok, brain, let's get to work.

BRAIN: No.

ME: What's your problem this time?

BRAIN: You can't do this.

ME: Why not?

BRAIN: Because you suck.

ME: That attitude is helping no one.

BRAIN: And the attitude that you don't suck isn't helping your solitaire score.

ME: Way to focus on what's important, you lazy piece of--

BRAIN: Face it, you don't know how to write anymore. All your character has to do is walk from point A to point B, but you don't know how the hell to describe it. You don't even have a clue where you're going with this story.

ME: You said that with the last story, yet we got through the first draft and saw how wrong you were.

BRAIN: That was an exception.

ME: And the story before that...

BRAIN: Another exception.

ME: And the one before that...

BRAIN: That was--hey, look, something shiny!

In other words, the current WIP has been far more a slog than it should be. But as always, I plow through regardless. I think I might even be able to finish the first draft this week. But still, stupid brain.

Comments

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness, this is so familiar.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

I think brains like to get together when we're not using them and share their strategies for torturing us.

[dotificus.livejournal.com]

Hey, getting characters from point A to point B is one of the hardest things in writing!

So shut up, brain. Wait, that didn't come out right.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

No, "shut up, brain" sounds just right to me. :)

[ckastens.livejournal.com]

Those brain things just get in the way. That's why I continue killing mine with alcohol.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.

[jennygordon.livejournal.com]

Let me know if you discover a way to short-circuit your brain when it gets into this loop. I keep trying to tell mine that it's wasting valuable writing time when it behaves like this, but it just blows raspberries at me!

Hope you manage to stuff yours back into its box!

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

Yeah, brains don't seem to be too big on maturity or listening to reason when you're trying to write. :)

[jenniferkoliver.livejournal.com]

Ploughing through is the only way to stick the middle finger to your brain.

Best of luck getting your first draft done this week! That's fantastic progress. :)

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the luck! I'll need it as I give the middle finger to my brain later today--which luckily doesn't involve my actual middle finger, or else it'd be hard to type!

[bogwitch64.livejournal.com]

Here. Borrow



and keep them handy when that Brain wants to open its smart mouth.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

I have to confess that my first thought was, "How are marshmallows going to help?" Then I realized they were boxing gloves. See what my brain has done to me!?

[musingaloud.livejournal.com]

I think you stole my brain conversation -- except for the part about "but you got through the first draft"

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

Well, you get back in there and tell that brain where to shove it then! Not that brains listen, but if you yell enough, sometimes you can distract the brain long enough to sneak a first draft past it.

[musingaloud.livejournal.com]

I think my brain has gotten well used to all my scare tactics, and has retreated behind a thick wall to ignore my yelling.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

Time to get out the heavy equipment and take us out out a wall then!

[musingaloud.livejournal.com]

Yes. And while you're at it, please give me a serious kick in the ass. Cause I deserve it.

[writerjenn.livejournal.com]

Ah, brains. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

I could name some people who do seem to live without them, but they're mostly on reality TV shows. :)