Comments on: Pep Talk No. 16 – Welcoming Your Demons

By: Rebecca Laffar-Smith

Rebecca Laffar-Smith — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:14:29 +0000

It’s fantastic to know others have been able to get past and overcome some of their demons.

What did you do to help you overcome the misinformation about writing more than 600-700 words, Mysti?

In many cases it is about changing the internal messages from a negative to a positive. As with most things the theory is much easier than the practice. *grins*

Mary, I think fiction characters SHOULD need therapy. *grins* It’s a part of what makes them rich and interesting. Characters need to have their quirks and insecurities; those humanizing elements that help readers empathize with the characters.

It would be interesting to do a trial. For example, if I were working on my current novel and facing down the fear, I could find a way to attribute that fear to my character. I think doing so, whether the fear is hers originally or not, would help shift the energy into the story instead of having it hanging over my head. Interesting… Worth trying.

What do you think?
Rebecca Laffar-Smith shares: Pep Talk No. 16 – Welcoming Your Demons

By: Mary Snow

Mary Snow — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:00:30 +0000

Perhaps those demons with whom writers are so well acquainted are actually coming from our characters; they are trying to rid themselves of demons by projecting them onto us.

That perspective certainly makes the insecurities of the characters very real to me. Poor dears! Better get them into therapy immediately!

By: Mysti

Mysti — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:37:00 +0000

My own demons in writing once convinced me that I couldn’t write more than 600-700 words, my writing wasn’t “good enough” to compete and eventually sent me into a place where I didn’t write. Overcoming those fears has added a greater confidence in many other areas of my life. That little demon even has a place in a story… but that one is for another day.