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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Are Writers Crazy?

By crazy I mean, do writers think on a whole different level than non-writers? I think absolutely! Who doesn’t evesdrop on conversations thinking it would make great material for their next book? Maybe a friend comes to you with a problem and instead of offering advice or a solution, you think about how you could use that in your book too. I think our minds are wired differently. We see things from a different perspective and sometimes it’s only other writers who can truly appreciate this.

An example. Last night me and the hubs went through the drive thru. The car in front of us, at the ordering menu opened up his car door. Without thinking and just observing, what is your immediate thought?

Me: Oh look, that guys is gonna rip off the menu or something.

Hubs: What are you talking about?

Me: I don’t know. He’s suspiciously doing something. Just wait for it.

Meanwhile, my mind is running through all these possible scenarios, some unrealistic, but I’m totally watching this guy with his car door wide open. I’m waiting for him to pounce. To do SOMETHING. Because I know there must be a movtive. Why else would he be doing this?

Hubs: Yeah, wait for it. He’s ordering.

Me: Ordering? What do you mean? Just watch. Something is about to happen. I KNOW it.

Hubs: The only thing that’s happening is he’s ordering his food.

Me: Ya, right. With his car door wide open?

Hubs: (rolls eyes) His window is broke. It doesn’t roll down.

Me: Oh.

But in my mind, I had a whole story figured out for this guy. And the fast food menu. And maybe he had vengeance for one of the workers inside. But the boring reality of it was he was hungry, his window was broke.

Imagine the kind of world we would live in if everyone had boring brains? We need writers with overactive imaginations and dramatic thinking skills. So tell me, who’s with me? Who’s crazy too?

15 comments:

Candyland said...

Sounds like me. I'd have thought he was about to step out of the car to come murder me. Yeah, we're all crazy.

Bradmouth said...

I'm so with you.

What if it was like Chronicles of Narnia, and this dude knew that behind the menu was a portal to a strange, world where Ronald McDonald is a tyrannical king?

Is he the chosen one off to bring liberty to the Fast Food Kingdom? Is he a spy for the Burger King?

We live in a fantasy land. And that is my preference.

theBrad
bradmouth.com

Jenny Rose said...

Hahaha. Yes, FICTION writer's live in a different realm--one foot in fantasy and one in reality. Don't know about non-fic writer's. Who else can be in a crowded noisy room, stare off, and be watching a movie in their head complete with sound and dialogue, rework it a couple different ways, and never know what is going on around them ;)

jennyrosewriter.blogspot.com/

Aubrie said...

Fiction can be so much better than real life!

Amie Borst said...

i'm definately crazy - but it has nothing to do with me being a writer. uh. i mean. sure, sure. it has everything to do with writing.

Lenny Lee said...

i was thinking that guy that got out of his car thought he was at a atm and was trying to stick his card in it. then when it said can i take your order he said yeah id like 100 dollars and the voice kept saying can i take your order. so he kicked it and shot of ketsup hit him snack in the face and then a zillion french fries came out of the speaker and buried him. wow now im in the writers crazy club for sure. ha ha. yep theres fantsy stuff everywhere you look.
...smiles from lenny

Windy Aphayrath said...

That totally made me laugh! I'm the same way. It's never the easy answer, because, well, that's just way too easy!

Unknown said...

My co-worker was staring at my suspiciously as I continued reading each section of this post giggling at my hearts content. I loved it!

I was waiting for it, wondering what was going to happen, what he was going to do, and then the hubs ruined it. The anticipation that crept up my spine had disappeared and all I was left with was disappoint.

I liked your version much better! I thought maybe he was going put a certain code in on the menu and it would open up into an alternate world, and then of course you would secretly followed him to look around!

So now that I've written a novel I'll leave the comments up for someone else to follow! But yes I'm a writer, and I'm crazy, nutty kind of loony and I love it! And so does my husband!

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

What we see in our own minds is never like what we're looking at. I like our nutty way much better! Don't you?

Lisa Gail Green said...

Ooh, ooh! Me, I'm crazy! And you know it's true if only because I'm so proud of it.

Jaydee Morgan said...

Yep, we're crazy - but it's so much fun! My imagination plays the what-if game far too much at times, but again, I wouldn't trade it for nothing.

WritingNut said...

Ahh.. it's so true! I can take most normal situations and give them a completely "interesting" spin.

Vicki Rocho said...

My sister and I did this at the airport while waiting to board our plane. We created an occupation / back story for our fellow passengers. It was sooo funny!

I think YOU were right, and he as just scoping the sign out to come back and take care of it later...

Casey said...

That sounds exactly like me. My parents and most of my friends think I'm crazy. It's good to know I'm not the ONLY crazy, though! :-)

Matthew MacNish said...

I prefer eccentric, or eclectic, but yeah crazy pretty much sums it up (shhh)!

BTW my word verification is schiet.

Is that like shhhing someone AND telling them to be quiet?