Quieting the Mind to Write

[paragraphs]

Okay guys, what do YOU do to gear-up to write? How do you block out the world so you can dive into your imagined one? Curious C is curious.

I am so severely distracted right now. There are things I want to write--very much so--but any spare moment I'm not working or cleaning or reading or otherwise occupied, instead of digging down and writing, my brain floats happily away into the future and all the wonderful fun Nick and I are going to have. I can't seem to turn off that brain of mine and get cracking.

Not the worst problem to have--obsessively thinking happy thoughts--but c'mon brain, settle down already!

Friday I send my kids off to Italy for 10 days (they'll be back the day before I leave) so I should make good use of the time. Yes I know that. But it isn't going to happen unless I can turn my brain off. I've read here and there that adopting a ritual to prepare for writing is not a good idea. Dependence on that ritual may result, and any interruption of it can be the catalyst for plunging into a bad case of writer's block. Not that writer's block is real...I certainly am not blaming that for not writing. Lame excuse, that, especially since I've got alot of things I am working on right now.

But, I need to find a way to get down to concentrating this weekend. I've already told blue_fjords she can crack a whip at me... LOL.

ALSO A QUESTION FOR FANTASY READERS AND WRITERS! Why is the language in so many fantasies so formal? do not, cannot, will not, he is, she is, etc., instead of contractions. I rather like contractions, and get tired of the overly-formal way of speaking. (that is, the characters in my head)

I am currently reading Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon on my iTouch and am LOVING it, but it drives me a bit batty, all the formality--especially as the dragon Temeraire, and his Captain sound so much alike. Formal. Of course Laurence is a Navy man, so it suits him, but why does the Temeraire have to be all formal too when he speaks? I suppose all intelligent dragons speak formally--I don't know any--but it would be nice to meet a dragon who is laid-back and casual sometime. Seriously.

So really. Is there something I don't comprehend about why the dislike for contractions? In writing my own fantasy, I'm not writing formally. It is just not going to happen with my characters, except here and there. Or perhaps one character. It really puzzles me. Thoughts welcome!

ADDED TEXT HERE from a reply to kel_reiley:
I guess that is my bugaboo--made-up worlds that rely on formal speech patterns, like it is an auto-requirement.

(this is such a pointless post about nothing much really, isn't it?) So let's add something here to make it not so pointless:

Go read this fic by misswinterhill. It is a Merlin au fic that I am not even quite finished with yet, but I am enjoying so much what she does with the characters that I just have to nudge anyone out there who might have been considering reading in that fandom. It is a good one to start with. Enjoy! misswinterhill.livejournal.com/49943.html#cutid1

Comments

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Very thought-provoking explanation. And with things to look at further. Thank you! I'm comfortable with the explanation you gave for the more formal language for mythological-esque stories. I must keep picking those up for some reason.

I have heard about Howl's SO MUCH! Movie and...book? I'll investigate.

[valancy-joy.livejournal.com]

I'll gladly gush about Miyazaki's genius :) def. check Howl (or any of the others) out sometime. My personal fave is Porco Rosso. *scuttles away after giving C something else to take up time* LOL.

[bluejeans07.livejournal.com]

HAHA you and me both, I'd gush on and on about how much I admire and love the Ghibli films. I love Porco Rosso too but my personal fave is 'Whisper of the Heart', the heroine is a girl addicted to books and a potential writer! She's so like how my friends and I were when we were young! <3

[valancy-joy.livejournal.com]

OH yes! Whisper of the Heart is so lovely. I really need to revisit these now :)

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

SO MUCH TO READ! But thanks to my itouch, I am reading lots these days. :)

[bluejeans07.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad you like it! I was pretty sure my comment had NEEEERRRRD written all over it. XD

OKAY one thing to remember when you're watching/reading Howl's is try not to connect the book with the movie too much and vice versa. Miyazaki used the original book as inspiration but went his own way with the movie, and it's beautiful and well done but it's not the book. The book and the movie are separate entities that share some of the same characters and themes. :D

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I have access to the movie...should I watch it? I could this weekend. So I should, while Nick is studying. And I'll put the book on my list of books to snag.

[bluejeans07.livejournal.com]

Yes you definitely should watch it!! :D The dub is pretty good so go ahead and watch the English dubbed version. I recommend ALL of the Ghibli movies btw, highly HIGHLY recommend. :D

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Okay done. I will! :)

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed the movie, but you need to think of it as a totally different thing to the book. All the Welsh connections are missing for starters.

Knowing your fondness for all things Welsh, I think you might like the book better. :)