Wednesday, October 15, 2008

A FISH BY ANY OTHER NAME IS...WELL...STILL A FISH

A passel of Pisces.

They were staring me right in the face. Box 'o dead fish. In Curacao. The photo op was simply irresistible.
Would it have been everyone's choice?
No.
It got me thinking about literary choices. Why we write what we do. What makes an author create a character who swears like a truck driver (now don't get all offended you semi-drivers you)- when they wouldn't think of using the correct anatomical terminology for an embarrassing body part?
What makes an author write about criminals, serial murderers and rapists?
What makes an author write a happily-ever-after love story when they've been divorced six times?
Inquiring minds want to know.
So I looked around for a writer to interview.
I didn't have to look far. Tooloose was right there reading over my shoulder. He's been a bit fragile since I've been back so I felt I should humor him.
He was leaping around. "Me! Me! Me! Pick me! I have the answer!"

"Okay Tooloose what makes you write about alien space monkeys when you turn your nose up at bananas?"

"Tooloose stop chasing your tail and answer me!"

"hmm so you say that it's the fundamental aspect of being a writer- You write what you want to be?"

"Yes I'm familiar with that philosophy- don't patronize me -so am I to beleive you see yourself as a space monkey?"

"So you're saying you could think of worse things to be? Such as?"

"Well okay you've got me there... a cat hating water but living on a boat IS a good example."

At that point the interview was over. Tooloose got distracted batting around the rolled up crumbled pages that he had just discarded from his WIP "Alien Space Monkeys Do Dallas"

hey sometimes you got to let art flow over you...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

hmmm. Am I the only one on your blog who prefers to read memoirs rather than novels? As they say, "truth is stranger than fiction."

If you publish a memoir, I'll be your first customer! Go for it!

Lisa R said...

You gotta love Tooloose. He's one of a kind. Welcome home.

Holly Kennedy said...

All right then... are we done traveling for the year?!! You have to be getting tired of it, huh?

Nice to see you made it home safe and sound.

Happy writing!

Travis Erwin said...

I gave a few clues as to why I write women's fiction over on my blog today.

Aprilynne Pike said...

*snort* Hilarious!!

I hope you are having the loveliest time!

Jon said...

I write suspense but I like to get to the heart and soul of my characters, to where they hurt, and then putting them through the wringer to see what they're made of. Then see what they do and how they find happiness, whatever that is, in the end.

Chris Eldin said...

I've been lucky, very lucky, to have the experience I've had. Bottom to top. I don't lack for characters. Talent perhaps. Maybe I lack the talent for writing those characters. But not for knowing them....

ORION said...

yep.
am done with traveling for a while-- that is done with the body part...my mind is continually traveling...

Polly Kahl said...

That Toolooose is so talented. I wish my kitty could do that. BTW, I do have an interview with memoirist Howard Dully over at my blog in case anyone's interested. And I agree with GigHaiwii. I'd read your memoir too. Or was she talking to Tooloose?