Sunday, June 28, 2009

Life Experiences

I was reading a chapter in the Characters and Viewpoint book yesterday that talked about pulling from life experiences for your story. Sure, it was talking about life experiences to use for character development, but it still made me think.
It's interesting that I'm revising a story I first wrote years ago (and haven't revised or read for over a year or so) and there's a scene where one main character gets hit by a car and the others go to see her in the emergency room. Because of experiences within the past year revolving around the emergency room of hospitals I can fill more information into this scene to make it more believable (or even relate now). I never thought when I wrote that part that I would ever be in a situation similar to it in the future.

Something New

I haven't been able to post anything in some time, been either busy or um...we'll say under the weather, so finding something to say is a little difficult.
I can say that I finally managed to check out a few books from the library to help with my writing, one of which is Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card, I find it very helpful.

What surprises me is how much of it I was already attuned to unconsciously. I don't know how I obtained the information as this is the first book on writing I have ever read in my life, but it's there. It makes me wonder if in some way I'm picking up on these skills through just reading novels somehow, which amazes me that the mind would be capable of that.
I'm certainly going to continue reading this book, and when I get the money buy it for myself. Hopefully that book, along with the other one on syntax, and the editing class I plan on taking next month will help me in all the areas I've been needing work with.