Trust The Process

When I start writing, I usually try to write in a journal. A first draft always seems to be better when I’m writing in a journal. That way I can separate different stories from each other. And mostly because I absolutely love journals. Some of my favorite ones are the ones that I got for Valentine’s Day.

I’ve written a few horror stories in it.

My absolute favorite was the ‘Reparative Pal Program’. It also helps that I sometimes listen to other horror stories while I work. Along with a mermaid tail pen. Well, now a fish themed pen. Pens just flow better for me somehow. I’m not entirely sure but I find it more fun to write with those kind of pens. My favorite thing to listen to while I write has been stories that seem kind of like the ones that I write. While I was writing the ‘Reparative Pal Program’ for example I was listening to ‘Tender is The Flesh’. Neither of these stories are that much like each other. Aside from the fact that they have varying degrees of dehumanization in it.

Such as Marcos and the poor woman he kept in his home.

Gabriel was almost dehumanized as much. The diseases that are in general pet feeds aren’t the same. Well, general inability to keep up with pet food standards. But that’s another story entirely.

Though this is only something that I’ve done at work. Listening to these kinds of horror stories while having my lunch break. An hour. But an hour is better than nothing at all in my book. It’s also where I’ve been getting the best journals for my writing as well. Before that it was at my other job in Maine. I collected so many that I hadn’t used for whatever reason. It’s also something I might get to in the future.

While I’m writing the stories, I read the journals that I wrote in. Adding things that I feel would better flesh out the story. Like things I hadn’t thought of before I put pen to paper earlier in the day. Or the week prior. But now I can. As well as omitting things that wouldn’t add to the stories no matter how much I wish they could. Such as a few dumb stuff that I put in the ‘Reparative Pal Program’. There were a lot of things that I could have added but decided against. Such as names and actions that I felt would detract from the general storytelling or flow. Mostly against what the characters would really act like. It really can add weight to the story. Or trimming what I know doesn’t need to be added to my story.

There is also a process that I do that I feel is a little silly. I do little mock interviews for the characters that I write. Imagining myself in a room with them. One that I feel would make them feel at ease. Or would seem really like where they would go. Like Bo from ‘The Gnawing Hunger’. When I was starting to write him, I imagined him in my kitchen with me as I made dinner. Both of us joked together as we talked about stuff in our lives. He would slowly admit to what had happened to him in the past. It kind of felt like I was talking to one of my mom’s cousins. Telling me stuff in his jokey manner. It was kind of nice getting to spend time with him.

I hope the other characters that I write will be just as good. Or feel just as at ease when I do. I also hope that I feel just as natural writing them as I do Bo.