Friday, July 19, 2013

Passion! Inspiration! Implosions!



Well, this is just all kinds of awkward.

For me, I mean.

It feels strange to talk about what inspired me to write my novel, Tabula Rasa. Strange because to explain why I so desperately wanted to write this particular story, I have to talk about love. And talking about love makes me feel all … oogey. Then I get embarrassed and say “um” and “you know,” and I have trouble making eye contact. Oh, and I instantly go red as a radish. (I have a theory that this is the real reason the color red is associated with passion and love. Because it’s the color you turn when you talk about it.)

Yet I myself enjoy hearing authors tell the “story behind the story,” so I pushed through and put this video together. Needless to say, there are loads of “ums” and “you knows” in here.

So.

Um.

You know.

Here it is.


10 comments:

  1. I love people who talk with their hands--you've got PASSION, baby!!!!

    This was a fun way to peek at your inspiration--your facial expressions are the best!!

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    1. I know. I'm a total freak. I should hire a team of media consultants to fix me and my video presenting style. But, of course, I won't. ;)

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  2. Love this. Right there with ya, my love! I began Of Breakable Things when my son was a baby, too! I will be crazy, twitchy, dejected, exhausted with you any day!

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    1. Thank you! Nothing says love like the willingness to be completely sleep-deprived with someone.

      I totally wasn't kidding about the "I can't take it anymore!" thing. I'm surprised I wasn't locked up at some point during that time. I was a total mess.

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  3. Hi, K. It's Paula. Google always has me logged in as the wrong writer-identity. Anyway, this was awesome. Maybe I'll do the same someday, although the story behind my story is all kinds of humiliating ;)

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    1. Yes! You should! I really do love to hear these stories, which is probably why I watched Behind the Music for years before they ran out of bands with drug habits to profile.

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  4. I think many people buy old family photos at thrift stores to rebuild their identities. Kidding :0)

    I remember reading blog posts of yours from around this time. I'm so glad you kept going despite the tired, despite the frustration, and I'm so glad I now know what Tabula Rasa means!!!!!

    You've inspired me to talk about inspiration. :0)

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  5. Thanks for sharing your story's story. I've found some of my best ideas when totally exhausted -- odd how that works -- too revved up with an idea to sleep, the only alternative is to get it out on the page, all the layers of busy-ness peeled away, leaving our most true, raw selves.

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  6. Thanks for sharing, Kristen! I, too, got my story idea when I was a sleep-deprived new mommy--maybe there's some weird brain chemical thing going on when we're totally exhausted? Hmm... Guess if we're having writer's block, we now know what to do. I wonder if ice cream is a possible alternative. Or popcorn. Or wine. Or anything else.
    Seriously, though, thanks for sharing your story. :)

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  7. Oh, isn't wonderful how our own insanity can drive a good story? Loved hearing your story! I'm pretty sure I want to be your new best friend now. We can be called the Gesticulating Jesters and we can entertain people with our hand motions :)

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