Falling Forward

I was driving to work and back today and this one very simple line of dialog popped into my head. Just one simple little question one character asks the other, but with so much weight behind it I knew there was something there. When I got home I jotted it down so I wouldn't forget, and then I wrote out the other character's answer, and before I knew it I had the whole conversation, half a scene, written out and it was like it fell out of the ether.

These are usually great little moments, except this was an incredibly sad scene. It's odd to make yourself sad like that working, because it's this duality between feeling legitimately very sad, actually feeling what your characters are feeling in that moment (like physically feeling an emotion, it's wack?), and then feeling really happy about it because it's like "well damn, that was affecting, good work me". Okay, turns out this is hard to explain. I guess the gist is-- I made myself cry out of nowhere today writing dialog between two characters in a scene that may never actually end up in a book, but let's say is now "canon" in my head. Maybe that sounds absurdly pretentious, or just plain ridiculous, but I guess I imagine all authors get genuinely sad while writing sometimes. 

I think the same feeling must be why people really like acting. Inhabiting another character, another person almost- no matter how imaginary- just for small moments, but having it feel quite real. Like magic almost. That's my revolutionary thought of the day-- storytelling is probably magic. It's the human empathy muscle flexing I guess, and it's just hard to feel bad about that. Writing, reading, dancing, acting, films, theater, and visual art, the attempts of one person to connect with another. Stories like spells cast over the participants with the ability to shift place and time. How fecking cool is that?

Also anytime I talk or write about writing itself I feel so silly! It's impossible to explain without sounding silly I guess. Hopefully you all know what I mean and won't judge me too harshly ;)

Anyways, I wore this fall print circle skirt recently. It's just so OCTOBER you know?  I hope you're all well, I have to back to writing now...

Skirt: Made by me
Sweater: Banana Republic
Shoes: Modcloth
Petticoat: Malco Modes
Fishnets: TJ Maxx
Brooch, Belt, & Clutch: Vintage
Gloves: V&A Museum Gift Shop
Beret: Touristy stand in Paris