on writing (var & sundry)

[lagilman]

Weekend word count is, sadly, only around 1500. I suck. I suck like a hoover on high. *droop*

I console myself with the thought that the characters are starting to develop distinct personalities and attitudes, and have even, in one case, started talking back to me. I can see threads of other people flowing into them, twisting and turning and filling out the skins to make someone entirely new. It's neat. It comforts me while I suck.

Not all characters evolve like that. Wren and Sergei arrived as adults, and slowly are letting me in on their secrets. But this trio is different. I suspect I'm going to be unbearably fond of them before long. Which will make it so much the harder to hurt them the way they're going to get hurt....

I suspect the lack of food may be impacting my writing. Just not hungry. Total food count since Friday night has been an Ensure (strawberry), a slice of plain pizza, and small container of movie theater popcorn. Some toast this morning. And a lot of diet coke and black tea. Of course, I consumed masssive calories on Friday, so...

Anyone out there notice any correlation between food consumed and words produced? Would be interesting to chart, see who does better hungry, and who not. I have a friend who writes best while consuming nothing more than black coffee and pop tarts. Bleah.

Oh, and for some interesting reading on what we think of interstit-who?, check out matociquala's pad. I'm the one in the corner being cranky.

That is all.

Comments

[msagara.livejournal.com]

One data point: If I don't have a solid meal, my writing dips and slides. If I eat like a pig -- or rather, eat as much as a pig would, given the chance -- I fall asleep at the keyboard. But if I eat nothing, or drink only coffee, I don't function well as a writer. I can do everything else, oddly enough -- watch the kids, clean up, laundry, work at the store -- but writing takes more.

[editrx.livejournal.com]

So I'm not the only one with a weird correlation of food and writing.

I'm not a high-protein eater normally, but I found when I was writing, especially when I got down to deadline, I needed some protein snacky things at hand while at the keyboard and again while spending thinking time. And the ubiquitous cup of coffee. I swear, my book was written on cheddar cheese slices and espresso. If I didn't eat, I couldn't think straight; if I sat and ate a full, large meal, I couldn't bring myself to go back to the keyboard: I wanted to sleep on a rock, like a snake, and digest. Snacking and sipping espresso got me through, though.

[greeneyedkzin.livejournal.com]

I'm better off eating a balanced diet.

If anything, because of the level of mental effort, I work up an appetite.