tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post6155861733005235708..comments2017-05-16T02:33:05.396-04:00Comments on Rachna Gilmore's Writerly Plarks*: Creative Cross-FertilizationRachna Gilmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-22209965516445500112010-10-23T17:09:16.489-04:002010-10-23T17:09:16.489-04:00Catherine, it's painful, isn't it, writing...Catherine, it's painful, isn't it, writing about sorrow, betrayal and suffering. Did you feel grief-stricken as you were writing it? I wonder if you felt it more because you were also soaked in music that reflected that.Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-5683851784066228442010-10-21T13:49:43.981-04:002010-10-21T13:49:43.981-04:00Yes, I was stuck on a single song through my first...Yes, I was stuck on a single song through my first book's drafting and listened to it at every break. I didn't tire of it--but it's a short book and I draft furiously. This spring I stuck with a song for a few weeks, not through a whole draft but through the most confrontational scenes. (It's sorrow, betrayal and suffering I need musical support for. I don't listen to anything when I write humour.) I wish I knew more about mind/body connections--hard labour and "think-walks" clear away the clutter for me somehow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-46033322242080699292010-10-21T12:50:23.552-04:002010-10-21T12:50:23.552-04:00That's so interesting, Catherine, and just wha...That's so interesting, Catherine, and just what my next blog post is going to be about. Do you find, if you're writing a novel, that you listen to the same piece of music for the duration? And then, do you ever get to the point where you can't stand it anymore -- such as when you can't bear to work on the novel anymore? I love your idea of lifting weights, or doing yardwork, to get unstuck. Sounds like the more you're stuck the harder you need to physically move, in order to get the mind past that block?Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-19264077444578904062010-10-21T12:30:17.650-04:002010-10-21T12:30:17.650-04:00Hi Rachna. I use music while drafting to get insid...Hi Rachna. I use music while drafting to get inside a narrator's head or stir in me the emotions of my character. Sometimes I get fixated on a single song because it captures the feeling I need; most often it has no direct connection to the work. (I don't question. It works. That's enough.) To stir ideas, I prefer reading and walking the dog. Like you, I walk while reviewing and editing. If I'm really stuck on something, I lift weights or do yardwork (and drop the dumbbell or rake as soon as a solution hits me). Hope this comment posts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-50512714761457547782010-10-21T11:59:36.377-04:002010-10-21T11:59:36.377-04:00Testing: I've heard that there are problems po...Testing: I've heard that there are problems posting comments on my blog so this is a test to seeRachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.com