Hey, I've been writing for a while now and I just wanted to know how some of the people go about writing. When do you like to write? How do you like to write (listen to music)? Just general stuff

For me, I feel I write best in the hours between 11-2 a.m. Strange, I know, but the house is quiet then and it's dark. I don't know. I like it. And when I want to express strong emotions, I listen to different types of music. When I'm writing a sad scene, I listen to songs I consider to be sad. Like "Stay" by Sugarland. That got me through a lot of scenes. I also tend to listen to "Terrified" by Kara DioGuardi and "Glitter in the Air" by P!nk.

Does anybody else do this, or am I the only one?

For the sake of your music taste I do hope you're female... But hey, whatever makes your teeter totter.  

Anyways, I've found writing true emotion can only come from your past experiences.  Sure we can emulate emotion, but if you've never truly felt life at its "seemingly" absolute worst then you'll never truly write with those experiences...  you'll just emulate what others have done and what you have seen on screen or heard in song.  And that's fine... some people get by on that and do brilliant work.

As for me, I like to write when everyone is as far away from me as possible.  When I write I toss my phone downstairs and turn it off.  I disconnect from the internet.  I tell everyone I'm dead and not to bother me until I bother them.  I shut the blinds and use my blackouts if it's daytime.  When writing you're writing what others are not privy to... They don't know the world or characters you are creating and for them to come in and botch that up you run the risk of letting them into the world you're creating.

Kiss Fuck and leave me alone... that's my motto.  Might be a bit extreme, but it works for me.  G'luck writing... And equally good luck on listening to that music while you do it.

Just so you know, I am male, and that's not really my music taste, seeing as I listen to everything from Switchfoot and Lil' Wayne to Carrie Underwood and Paramore. I have no musical boundaries. If I like it or it makes me feel something different, I listen to it.

But back to the main point. I feel like I am possibly feeling life at it's worst possible moment right now. About two months ago, my dad was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and was given about a year to live. I've felt more emotions in the past two months than I knew was possible. I guess the music brings it back out because I like to compartmentalize. It's helping me cope.

You're motto is similar to mine, but mine's a little less extreme. I go by "Go away, no you don't need to know what I'm doing, LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I agree with Balt that true emotion comes from life experience and I don't think writers should shy away from incorporating their experiences or present state of mind into their writing. I wrote one feature while in a deep depression, drinking constantly while shedding pounds like crazy and listening to Type O Negative. I did so, short of WUI, because it was good for the script. It's not one of my favorite scripts but the emotion is certainly there. Since then, my scripts have become more and more personal. The stories are completely fabricated but totally influenced by my life experiences. I try to write in such a way that it's not completely apparent but the scripts feel a lot more real and dense as a result. It's yourself that gives your writing personality, not the films and music you like.

Nevertheless, this isn't (and shouldn't be) the case for all scripts. I also write out of complete frivolity in which case I do find music helps in setting the right tone. I listen to music a great deal of the time I write.

Well what works the best for me is sitting down on a sunny afternoon, windows wide open letting the fresh spring air sweep in, so relaxing and peaceful for me.

But for the time being I have to wait till old man winters takes a hike, persistent bastard!

Quoted from Lightfoot Well what works the best for me is sitting down on a sunny afternoon, windows wide open letting the fresh spring air sweep in, so relaxing and peaceful for me. But for the time being I have to wait till old man winters takes a hike, persistent bastard!

LOL, at first I thought, how wonderful, how beautiful sounding Lightfoot makes it:

Sitting down on a sunny afternoon, windows wide open, letting the fresh spring air sweep in, so relaxing and peaceful for me.

And then:

But for the time being I have to wait till old man winters takes a hike, persistent bastard!



Well now, let me see...

There are a gazillion ways in which to write, or at least think about writing which sometimes is better done away from a computer or whatever you're using-- paper and pen, chalkboard...  

I've found that sometimes it helps me to get the hell away from the computer and the change of pace gets me unstuck.

Usually I don't put on any tunes until I've actually got "something". Maybe not a helluva lot, but it's there on the page and I can work with it later.

My favorite way to work I think is with people around. Unlike Balt, l feel like other people are my sustenance. That's probably why I like the collaborations I've worked on with people here. Even though everyone's so different and have different ideas on the way things should go, it's exciting to watch people work on the fly and I start to get a sense their natures and to me that's fun.

Although there are times when I'm alone and in the zone and appreciating it, there is always a part in me that wants to connect with people and just hang out.

I think it's good to think about how you like to work. Don't be surprised if the way you like to work changes from day-to-day. Who ever said it has to be the same?

Certainly for me, it never is-- that may be bad or it may be good. Most important is to try and write consistently everyday.

Sandra