Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Sponge

The sponge in my title is not referring to the infamous episode of Seinfeld, which I did not watch regularly, but I did see the episode about Elaine's struggle with determining who was "sponge worthy". I am not referring to the aquatic sponge depicted either--what I am referring to is if someone was doing tarot and a card existed call The Sponge, it would represent me now that I am in the throes of I absorb everything around me--everything can become a part of the novel! I did not do an outline, I am going by the seat of my pants as always. I am not so freewheeling as that really--I knew what I wanted to write about. I had the idea for an intense romance in my head, and I started right there, my protagonist in the throes of something not NaNo. Without an outline anything can become a part of the story. I might have, and have had, several conversations even with people that I am not so close to but when they hear I am writing a novel they tell me what they think I should do next and how to hold my audience's attention. There is a writer or a storyteller in everyone I believe, or at least a lot more people who do not believe that they are writers. People are even just telling me about their actual life and I am saying to them can I borrow just the idea?--I swear I will not do your entire story verbatim! There is a bit of "everything in the fridge" in my story. There's the what people tell me about, there are the things that I see, even before I started writing the story I would see things that I wanted to include in the story. The girl who was reading a novel across from me on the train who had an unsightly stain and unusual hosiery. I walked up to a woman who was smoking a pack of cigarettes that I did not recognize the brand and she offered me one--I do not smoke though. She told me that she had gotten them in Moscow. I am constantly being stimulated and absorbing what is going on around me and it all goes in the story. My story: I have won three times, the first two times I was writing like mad all of the time. Last year I wrote 35,000 words in the last week, I did not think I was going to do that one but I did. Maybe that is why it does not show up on my NaNo profile it was so unbelievable that I got it done! This year I am super mellow, by the time you read this I should be well over 10,000 and I feel happy. I did not write this past Friday, but all the days since this story has been coming together, I am on fire when I am writing sometimes with the surge of ideas. Friends and family believe in me, I believe in me but I can tell you I would not be able to do it if I was not constantly being inspired by people, places and things. This is why I do not believe in outlines or for that matter cooking with a recipe. There is such a freedom in knowing that there is inspiration around every corner. Yet even without structure the story structures itself, as I am writing this and trying to see what I can absorb from the process of blogging to put in my novel...

5 comments:

  1. Great post, Fidencia! Your "sponge" references are most amusing -- and I absolutely love your choice of illustration! Consider yourself very fortunate as a writer to be able to glean inspiration from all the events and people you encounter. Being a keen observer of the world around you and using any and all stories as fodder for your novel is a huge advantage. Keep those eyes and ears open to all possibilities.
    Brava!
    Lis

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful post, Fidencia, and continued best wishes for another uber successful NaNo. 10,000 words already--you are putting me to shame!

    :) Hope

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wackiness, whimsy, weirdness ... I love it all. It's what makes it so much fun to be able to do what we do - make stories out of the world around us and enjoy that we see through creative eyes. Of course I'm waiting to see the finished product that has been inspired, as well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Constantly being inspired by people, places, and things." That says it all, Nano comrade. I think your posting has much to say about the creative process, and that sponge is wonderfully evocative. What an image--I love it. Elizabeth Palladino

    ReplyDelete
  5. I remember that episode of Seinfeld. They have hit on almost very single thing that happens everyday.
    I am so glad that you are getting into your writing and you should be proud of your NaMo accomplishment. Keep on going, it will get good to you and you will not be able to stop.

    Patt

    ReplyDelete