language and writing

[olmue]

Language is so funny. I notice my kids code-switching to talk about things in the language they happened in. And last week I got up to introduce myself to a group and found I could barely talk. I did a fair amount of public speaking, mostly in German, in the past two years, and don't mind it/kind of enjoy it. But I simply couldn't get English to come out of my mouth! I have no problem one on one, but this was the Wrong Setting for English. I even found myself fighting false cognates, like using "become" to mean "get" (bekommen = to get/receive in German). The brain is a strange thing. I still listen to kids at the park or school pick up line and marvel that they can speak such good English, so young!

And--I've got another idea for another book. Completely unrelated to the others, but it's there. Hm. Hopefully it can wait a couple years, because I've got things in line ahead of it. There's no shortage of book ideas around here--they are floating all around and all I have to do is reach out my hand and pluck one. (Now, if only time worked that way... :). Even working on an existing book (which is work when you get down to it) is interesting--if I'm going to think up what happens and then write it down, I can stare at a blank screen all day. But if I just plunge in and start writing, no matter how stupid it starts, I find things about the character and plot leaking out of my fingers in the very act of writing. (This is why outlining first doesn't happen for me. I have to write, then outline for the revision.) I just found out why my character does a certain thing from doing this random scene writing thing. It's like all these characters are already there, and I just need to carve away the stuff that's hiding them.

Comments

[beckylevine.livejournal.com]

Isn't that "wait two years" thing bizarre. My ideas come much slower than yours, so its never been a problem before. In the last year, though, that's changed, and it's just tough looking at these characters who are asking for time and saying, not yet...not yet...I need to work on the balance.

[olmue.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure there's a direct correlation between how much I have going on and how fast the ideas come. Hopefully I can stock up so that when I have more time, I've got plenty to write about. :)