Do you experience (in your mind) what you're writing?

[Phantomlight]

Very cool actually ^^ It's nice to know others experience things similarly! When other people told me that it was something they didn't experience, I thought perhaps it was rare, but I'm glad it's not as uncommon as I thought ^^ And yeah, the not-so-good scenes are not the best feelings but they help me remember the work regardless, the wonderful and not-so-wonderful scenes are great on a whole different level. I think if I didn't have this ability, I would definitely have a different experience with works. I like being able to enjoy and sometimes feel ghost pains because it makes me connect with the work in another level ^^

[Crusoe]

Yeah I think so! I use my eyes and touch a lot, so I'm more likely to experience those I guess.

[therosesword]

The problem is that I must have experienced it in some sort of way to really be able to visualise it.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately I don't have to experience it. But it does explain feelings of deja vu. When I was in Sicily a couple years ago it was as if I knew the place, I knew the sites and sound etc. Keep in mind I was raised by an Italian woman so the language and smells of cooking were known to me, but the rest of it... Like I'd never left, even thought I'd never been there.

[Crusoe]

That's very interesting! Wish I could do that, sounds like a real superpower haha.

[KJWhitten]

Perhaps not to the same extremes as you but I can see what I write, like its a TV show or movie. Like I can see the fight scenes and how emotional the characters feel in certain moments. Sometimes its vague at first but the more I write it, the more I can see it.

[Ninjaniksel]

Yes, this is exactly how I experience mine! I've had people tell me that reading my work is more like experiencing a movie in written form haha.

[AnimeKitty]

I've always been able to immerse myself into the scene like I'm there with the characters. I think it's pretty cool and very helpful for my writing! I used to skip over descriptive details, but I've learned to do better with it by describing all the vivid images and scents I can sometimes smell, faintly in my mind. I can even picture my characters perfectly, which is why I struggle so much with character descriptions. I expect readers to be able to see the same thing that I can, both with their voices and appearances.

Something I can't do is feel what my characters are feeling. I don't imagine myself as any of them. I can't imagine myself as a character I'm reading either, yet I've heard that's pretty common in first person stories. I'm more like an onlooker, watching everything that happens to them from a safe distance. But I have always found it really cool how I can imagine myself in their world. It's helped me tremendously with the worldbuilding. I used to daydream a lot as a kid doing this, especially back in school if I got bored.

[Utamee]

That was strong. I do imagine as the main character in my head or Imagine I read it or being as a TV show or movie but not till all five senses feel it. But I do experience some of my idea who ended up just idea, since I mostly only told only to my closest person but never act on it, will appear as movie or TV show in upgraded style in real life. Mostly the main idea story is the same. That's why I called it upgraded style.
Not sure what this is called. But it happened since I was young.
I was once watched this Korean drama, about demon can steal your idea and sell it to other soul. lol
I know its not make sense, but there's a time, I almost convinced.
I do often can guess the story plot of movie/TV show, as what they called de ja vu or simply I watch/read too much story. Lol
@therosesword, you can see all that while being awake right? what I know If it's while sleep, they called it lucid dream.
But you can lucid while being awake. Then, that's one of your strong aptitude, And An artist might really your path. Brava!
when you go places, and feel like you ever been there, I feel that too often. That's more like de ja vu, and I think what you tell us in the first post its more like being vivid while awake. Which much more difficult to do it.

[therosesword]

you can see all that while being awake right?

Totally while I'm awake and writing or thinking about a scene that I want to write. It's like the brain is divided in two... one side working on the story the other side doing whatever it is I'm doing, whether it's cooking or even reading sometimes (that gets annoying). It's totally second nature to me.

It's a little like existing in two places at one time.

[VibrantFox]

Joining those who are relieved to know they're not the only ones who experience this, I genuinely thought i had my wires crossed or something.

It always varies for me though. Sometimes I can be present in a specific setting able to vaguely sense certain things or it's more like a film being projected in my head. It's far more vivid in dreams so I tend to lucid dream (or let the brain do its thing) when I'm thinking of certain scenes or trying to plot out certain points in a story.

Fully understand the oddness of pain sensations from more violent scenes and I can still vividly recall a would be character death I'd experienced in the first person in a dream

It's kind of strange but also really really cool and it's awesome knowing other folks do this too!

[therosesword]

It's kind of strange but also really really cool and it's awesome knowing other folks do this too!

We are Legion! bwahahahahahahah

[ar-ninetysix]

I tend to have a general idea, nothing too specific unless I use a real-world reference (which even then, I subconsciously blur out whatever's not mandatory to know about). General streets, buildings, rooms, planted trees, faceless uninteresting crowds in the background.. Stuff like that is purely visual and filtered for practical use.

And in terms of characters interacting, I'd say that's the most vivid part of the writing experience as I prefer to act things out and smooth out dialogue before permanently adding it to script. Emotions and physical sensations are felt out as well.. To the best of my ability, anyways. There's a lot of grave injuries in there that I've never felt and could never possibly just imagine feeling lmao

In short, my mind's eye sees everything like you would for directing a film and comes with the same limitations. Characters matter infinitely more than everything else going on for my process lol

[therosesword]

Characters matter infinitely more than everything else going on for my process lol

For me, and I think it's because I acted (on stage) for awhile and everything around me was important for my character, from the placement of the props, to the fit of costumes etc. it all factors in for me. I don't put it all into a story, obviously but for me to "step into" my character it all has to be there.

But, that is what works best for me, and a way of working that "is what it is" I've never known any other way. I think it's one of the reasons I really like Ridley Scott's directing, it's so meticulous in the backgrounds. There are stage directors like that too. I remember being an extra in an opera with a director that took an extra night of work just to work with the extras and giving each one a specific character.

So many ways of working, some of them learned, some of them developed over time and some of them foisted upon you without asking. All of them valid and true.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

Hi, therosesword. I think minds work differently, and that's the beauty of the system. My interaction with my writing is limited. I get some imagery, a notion of things, but more so with the feelings of my characters. I have often had to stop and dab a tear from my eye.

I once had a Sunday school teacher who claimed she thought in images and to her, it was all rather instantaneous. She plugged the idea that all people thought that way.

I think exactly the way I speak. That is word for word. I read slowly and speak slowly because I think slowly. It is not all black and white. I build the imagery of my thoughts one brick at a time.

[Bokyongyo]

I know this is mostly geared for novels but even for my comic yeah... but more so with the characters

I think making characters that are similar to people you know or even yourself makes it easier for each to become dynamic and feel real in their own way. So more so with just character building, having believable flaws and traits with them I find it essential to go about it that way.

[therosesword]

I think making characters that are similar to people you know or even yourself makes it easier for each to become dynamic and feel real in their own way.

I had to think about this for a minute and I have to admit, I've honestly never made a character like anyone I've known.

[Bokyongyo]

In terms of full blown copies of someone, me neither, but pulling few traits here and a few traits there from others I have and still do. I understand why some wouldn't want to fully copy someone they know lmfao, especially when trying to make a individual character that stands on their own

[therosesword]

LOL I know enough litigious people I don't dare go there. LOLOL

[allenT]

If 'experiencing' means you make yourself becoming into your character's 1st person perspective: then i don't do that to my characters (except on my protagonist, occationally). It really takes brain effort and constant imagination.

I can't shift myself to think AS they do as they are their own individuals (I suck at pretending i have another personality). When they think or talk i only see it as a creator/director not them. When they're angry or sad i don't experience them, only to feel a small fractions of their emotions, just empathy.

I mostly imagine my story atmosphere/surroundings without a body (like 'spectator mode' in a game) This is much more easy and relaxing: the coolness of the wind, the touch of the soil on my feet, the warming sun on my skin. (sometimes the smells too)

[Lahin]

I can't really 'imagine' stuff, to be honest. That's why I can't write fantasy. If it's places I have seen or been to in real life, like the barn, village and the sort, then yes. I can see the surroundings but I haven't smelled flowers yet
But I build my chapters around the dialogue, so I focus on it more. It comes more naturally. Then, when I need the descriptions, I switch it on and the sceneries come bursting in.
To be honest, a bit of both is what I do most of the time. It saves a lot of brain cells from doing overtime.