The dictionary defines obsession as the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc. Based on that definition (and probably all the other definitions) I must admit I have a somewhat obsessive personality. No, I don’t have a secret room wallpapered with pictures of a celebrity I plan to kidnap, who will then realize he loves me (though my 13-year-old self could not have said that about River Phoenix). I mean when I like something, be it a book, movie, tv series, cooking – I tend to go whole hog (gotta love a pig reference when you can get one). At the risk of embarrassing myself (more than usual), I’ll use the Twilight books as an example. When the first movie was about to enter theaters, my sister convinced me to go with her. At the time, I had no interest in vampire movies and knew nothing about the Twilight saga. I envisioned it as an updated Interview with a Vampire; a genre I generally don’t like. Oh, how wrong I was.
My sister lent me her books, which I devoured in 5 days, including the partially finished manuscript Stephanie Meyers posted on her website. For those of you unfamiliar with these wordy tomes, they clock in at just under 2900 pages for the entire series. Granted, the reading is fast and easy; but I couldn’t put them down and neglected everything that didn’t get between me and the page (children can be very persistent when hungry). Laundry piled up, errands weren’t run, and clean dishes became scarce. Once I finished reading, I scavenged information about the movie, watched the trailers, and studied pictures. I thought about the story constantly; imagining what scenes from the book would get cut for the movie, which scenes the songs from the soundtrack would play over, even analyzing the themes as if it were The Canterbury Tales.
Looking back, I was pathetic, but I couldn’t get the Twilight world out of my head. I discovered the stories during the perfect storm of a completed book series, upcoming movie, and rabid fan base; so new information flowed frequently. But I learned something valuable; my obsession, once sated (and in a few weeks I became a relatively normal person again), faded away. So instead of fighting it and feeling guilty, I embrace it, wallow in it, let it take over my spare thoughts. Soon enough it will wan and I can move onto my next obsession (like the upcoming final Harry Potter movie).
When writing, whether an article, novel, non-fiction book; the same level of obsession takes over. It almost has to. Writers need to immerse themselves into the subject matter, whether it’s a fictional landscape, different culture, or political scandal. They need to explore all the nooks and crannies, learn all the motivations, and discover the histories. The topic needs to take over their thoughts, actions, and even dreams. They need to become obsessed. How many times have you seen an author at his or her desk, surrounded by clippings, books, pictures, and random objects of inspiration? This magpie compulsion is common enough that a program (Scrivener) has built it in to the design. A key feature is a corkboard, where you can “hang” all your notes, images, and brilliant insights on a digital version of a bulletin board. Then you can stare at all your objects of inspiration without having to lose valuable wall space.
Regarding my novel, I’ve noticed a steep increase in my obsessive nature. Even though I don’t get a lot of time to actually type words, I find I’m always thinking about my characters; why they do something, how they might react to new information, and where they visit. I work on plot problems, dialogue, and back stories. I read books about food critics, study restaurants when I go out to eat, and replay scenes in my head – over and over. I download images and songs that inspire me, jot notes to remember a flash of an idea, and neglect the housework that really needs doing (we’re running low on socks again). But now that my story is so soundly planted in my head, it won’t dissipate till I finish writing it.
So, dear reader, what I really want to do is take my novel somewhere we can be alone; no distractions, no internet (see first list item), no other people. Then we can really get to know each other. And it will see it loves me too.
June 28 Word Count = 34,425
