I think I just might be a convert. Or something. Or maybe I just happened to hit on a couple fan fic authors that think in ways that are compatible with me. I was going to say 'think the way I do' but that would only be true if I wrote fan fic, too. Which I don't. The characters live vividly in my head, but they only react, not act.

This 'reaction' means that most of the fan fic I have encounted puts my teeth on edge because the characters in my head object to anything I consider 'out of character'. I realize this is extremely subjective, which is why I a) just quit reading when I hit the first grumble and b) never, ever make a direct complaint about it.


But when I come across something that doesn't set off the complaints? Oh, those are wonderful.


I was contemplating this this morning while trying to convince myself that 6 am is too early to be awake on a Saturday and of course wandered off into other musings.


Why can't/don't I write fan fic, if the characters are so vivid in my head? I think it's that I just don't have stories. I can certainly come up with scenes, but there's nothing to lead up to them, or lead away from them. There's no beginning or end, just middle bits and that's pretty useless. And that's just the way my mind works.

I actually spoke with a friend about this years ago, but I think my thinking is too concrete*. For example, I can come up with an analogy (oh, hey, I think I am...) but almost never a metaphor. I can understand both, if someone else comes up with either, but I have to work harder at the metaphor ("if I could save time in a bottle..."). And allegory is right out as it's gone way too far into the abstract.


Coming up with analogies does take creativity, but it's as solid and 'real' as sewing with coutil, while metaphor is getting closer to chiffon. And allegory is trying to sew mist.**

*is that the right spelling? stupid English and it's creative spelling
** and, look! I don't have a conclusion. My English teachers would be so disappointed.