So if you made it through the madness of Tuesday’s post you’ll (maybe) have noticed the part where I realised that I’ve found I’m using the same vocabulary for magic and violence and sex in Wizards. Which… I didn’t totally intend but kind of makes sense?
When I say I’m using the same vocabulary, I mean I’m drawing on the same words and descriptive styles so that emotively and thematically events that contain those things sort of feel the similar. I make language choices that draw parallels in the way the characters think about these things.
Writing Path and Wizards at the same time I think I’m becoming a lot more aware of those kinds of elements of my writing process. Like in Path I tend to use musical metaphors and language for the magic. But I needed to do something different in Wizards… and apparently this is where I ended up?
I think I have managed to give my main characters some interesting connections in their heads. Because magic, sex and violence probably shouldn’t be tweaking the same parts of their brains. Or maybe they should? Would Gray really stick around if he didn’t find alcohol and violence and adrenaline on the appealing rather than appalling side of the spectrum?
I mean so far Gray’s saved Jamie’s life twice and Jamie’s… technically saved Gray’s once. By trying to kill him. And neither of them has been remotely sober since the start of the book and there’s magic flying all over the place… and…
Me: I just started a fire. But I think it’s for the best. They’re going to live through it. Probably.
Arkem: It’s the ‘probably’ part that’s terrifying.
Me: Gray tends to agree with you. Jamie’s more on the fence
They are going to be the very best of friends. As soon as Gray gets over the concussion. (I was going to add ‘and they sober up’ but like that’s going to happen. And I don’t think their blood-alcohol level has any affect on their friendship. Luckily.)
Kandace Mavrick
Paul McLaughlan
Jay
20/10/2011
Ahh, never a dull moment reading these entries.
Confusing as hell sometimes, but never dull. ^_^
Kandace Mavrick
20/10/2011
I was going to say, this is the downside to writing while on several different kinds of drugs (the drugs are good, they are my friends, they will make me better and happy and la la la)… but I’m not totally sure the confusing comes from that or the sleep deprivation or even me trying not to spoiler while sharing what I’m thinking. It could just be me and the madness 🙂
Jay
20/10/2011
I suspect the root cause of the not-entirely-coherent is mostly a mix of the ‘No spoilers!’ self-censoring and the inherent issues with being an author.
The sleeplessness and the madness won’t help any, of course. The drugs will when they are working right, and really, really not when not working right. =)
Kandace Mavrick
20/10/2011
I spend a not insignificant amount of time writing things for this and then going ‘Ack! Can’t say that!’ and deleting them. Not, as I would have thought because they make me sound like a lunatic but due to spoilers.
That’s ordinarily though. Right now I also go around in circles because my brain apparently doesn’t stop to think quite so much before it does things. For example:
I wrote ‘the drugs don’t affect my brain’ and then I deleted it. And then I wrote ‘the drugs aren’t in my brain — ON my brain?’ and then I deleted that. The drugs are not ABOUT my brain. Just… two types of antibiotics and a couple of varieties of painkillers which have the wonderful side effect of making me sleep better but also make my head fuzzier. I will be happy when I’m not sick and I can stop taking them but for now… EXTRA MADNESS.
I… hope some parts of that made sense?