Why I'll never be a writer...

[derien]

I can't invent characters as interesting as those I see in real life.

I was out on my walk yesterday, just coming back down my own street, when I saw a slender Black guy with dreadlocks and a neat goatee, wearing black jeans and leather jacket. "Hm, another nice grown-up version of Lee," (from Harry Potter) I'm thinking (yes I really like Lee, and keep seeing grown-up Lees), when I notice the dog. At first I wasn't sure if this was his dog or belonged with the yuppie guy a few steps ahead of him, so I had to watch a bit, and yes, it was his. It was a Dalmation, wearing red reindeer antlers and little hoof-booties. I was so amused that as soon as I got into my house I tried to find a window from which I had a hope of seeing him again, but was not so lucky.

Then of course Eor had to ask me what the heck I was doing out in the guest bedroom stairing out the window, so I told him. His response was "Was the dog's name Frankenstein?" because to him this sounded more like a thin Lister (Red Dwarf) than a grown-up Lee. ("You know, Lister has that combination of leather jacket and mushy sentimentalism.")

I had never thought of Lee and Lister as in any way like each other, previously, I find that kind of interesting. No, not the fact that they are, but the fact that I never saw it. I'm sure someone who's a writer could go places with this insight, but I'm never going to be a writer, because I can't see where I'd go, it's just another thing which will fall by the wayside. Not to mention I have so much to do right now. I need to get moving on my boring day.

Comments

[licking-suntan.livejournal.com]

"Why I'll never be a writer...
I can't invent characters as interesting as those I see in real life."

But lots of writers don't invent characters; they're inspired from real life.

[derien.livejournal.com]

I'm always afraid that the people I want to write about will possibly read the story (often I really know these people, that's why I find them inspiring) and then they might not like the fact that I used them, and might not like the characterization. I thought of trying to change physical descriptions, but often the physical look of the person has so much to do with the juxtaposition that their personality has. Oh, I have to sleep, I'm up way too late, and probably not making sense.