The solution? Draw it myself. Towns, rooms, statues, forests, roads, societies secluded behind stone walls, even characters. I’m not claiming any talent here. My sketch of a Baltic Sea god was declared a cross between Sarah Jessica Parker and Poseidon. Not exactly the effect I’d hope for.
Drawing lets me step back from a blinking screen and view my story from a different perspective. It helps me fine tune scenes and double-check the logic of my imaginings. (Even fantasies need to be based in reality.)
How about you? Do you ever draw during the writing process?
Posts
Love your sketch, Kathryn!
ReplyDeleteI'm very visual, but can't draw. It's one of the reasons my settings are real places. I do take a lot of photographs and had photos of my "main characters" in hand before I began to write. If you see me with a camera, watch out. :) Along with photos, I use floor plans for the primary buildings/houses and even went yacht shopping to get the right boat floor plan for a particular scene.
If called upon, I could create fantasy from reality, but doubt I could ever do it from scratch. Sigh.
Hey, I do that, too. Although, I haven't tried to draw my characters, but I've done rooms and the town or other settings. Glad to see I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteLynnette Labelle
http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com
I wish I could draw, but even stick figures look pretty sad when I'm done. Love hearing about your creative process though. :)
ReplyDeleteVR: Glad you like it. I've used Internet photos of Lithuania to help with setting and even found a sketch of an ancient observatory in Palanga (where my story is set). Your photos intrigue me–at least the ones I've seen on your blog. Yacht shopping, how decadent!
ReplyDeleteLynnette: Save those sketches. They'll be fun to share when you do school visits or other presentations.
Karen: Stick figures are a start!
;-)
If I could draw I totally would! I wish I had the skills to draw scenes from my WIP. I can see how it could help to be able to visualize it.
ReplyDeleteNatalie: I'll bet you're better at drawing than you think. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think drawing is a good way to tap into our creative sides, making us better writers. Same with playing a musical instrument.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Oh, heavens no! I can't even make my writing look like letters. I am no artist. Sometimes I wish I was, but sadly, that is not one of my talents. :)
ReplyDeleteSuzette: Exactly. Do you play? I'm woefully bad about practicing my accordion.
ReplyDeleteElana: Well you have wit and verve so I wouldn't feel bad.
I try to draw, but I've always been hampered by the fact that I can draw something if it's in front of me, but I can't draw it if it exists only in my imagination. Being an utter perfectionist, if it looks like a stick man brandishing a skewer instead of a noble knight with his sword aloft, then I'll just feel defeated and not write a thing...
ReplyDeleteIcy: Use your imagination to turn the stick man into a full-fleshed character with your words.
ReplyDelete;-)
I'm terrible at drawing. But I do find pictures of people and places when I'm writing to make it feel more real for me.
ReplyDeleteSherrie: If you don't trust your own artistic skills (and I'll wager they're not as bad as you claim) it might be fun to describe your characters to your children and see what they draw.
ReplyDelete