Tag: Trishna’s Parents Divit and Brigit

[The Story] Not Living Alone

How have my own disability experiences affected “The Story?” I don’t believe by much. I am not disabled in the same ways as Trishna or John, but my own experiences can amplify the sensations that I would have been able to intuit but not intimately know without having experienced them. There is a certain value, then, to write about what you know – but I know these characters. Wouldn’t that be enough for knowing about them?

Spoilers?: Minor [knowing yourself, characters]
WANNA CONSIDER HOW YOU’RE NEVER LONELY IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Pain Versus Pleasure

How close will “The Story” relate to my life? I suspect there will be some similarities, but more than anything, my life will serve as a sort of better understanding for the lives of two characters that I summon into my imagination from somewhere unknown, either an alternate reality or from no reality. Pains that they have will be ones that are independent of my pains, but my pains inform the depth of their pains.  [110]

Spoilers?: Minor [pleasure or pain]
WANNA CONSIDER HOW A PAIN TACHOMETER MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO ASSESS PAIN? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Demisexuality In Fiction?

Over the years, when I’ve thought of the main characters of “The Story,” I’ve wondered about their sexuality as it relates to themselves and others. I’ve imagined that Trishna has a strong interest, or passion, in John starting from when they first talk. Is that the same sort of passion that one might have for someone they deeply admire, is it romantic or more? Around Pride Month 2021, I considered my own sexuality, which relates here.

Spoilers?: Minor [is this romance?]
WANNA CONSIDER HOW MUCH OF OUR NORMS MIGHT BE BECAUSE OF SOCIETAL PREPETUATIONS? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Shopping With Characters

Over my years of writing these essays about “The Story,” essays, and even Novel 01, I’ve realized that there is a difference between looking for writing inspiration and being “in it.” When interviewers ask writers about where they get their inspiration, they mean well, but they’re not asking the question well. It’s not like we sit alone in a dark room and these ideas appear… Maybe sometimes… It’s more likely we’ll go shopping with our characters.

Spoilers?: Minor [grocery shopping brainstorming]
WANNA EXPLORE REALITY AS A MEANS OF WRITING FICTION WITH ME? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Name of Wheelchair?

Part of the challenge of writing fiction outside of one’s comfort zone is that there are areas that I can’t easily verify. One of the two main characters of “The Story,” Trishna, uses a wheelchair. I don’t yet have anyone I can ask to make sure my brainstorming ideas aren’t problematic, but for something like naming a wheelchair, it seems like some people don’t and some people do, so something like that shouldn’t be problematic.

Spoilers?: Minor [name of wheelchair]
WANNA CONSIDER WHAT’S IN A NAME? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Them Playing Apart

In “Them Playing Together,” I wrote about how a local videogame store inspired elements of “The Story” ranging from seemingly-insignificant geography to insignificantly-significant daily hobbies. It might be boring to cover many years in the lives of John and Trishna, especially if a majority of their recreational time might be spent playing videogames or reading, but it’s worthwhile to know their favorite hobbies. How much time do they spend doing hobbies apart from each other?

Spoilers?: Minor [games as storytelling]
WANNA CONSIDER HOW REAL-LIFE LOCATIONS CAN STILL INSPIRE [IN]CONSEQUENTIAL CHARACTER DETAILS? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Sindian History Museum

I don’t yet know how much variation there is from our world and “The Story.” The easiest variations on fiction are real life and completely divergent paths. If I just wrote about India, then I’d just have to fly there, explore the area, and report my findings in a convenient way, just like writing about some imaginary location. Writing about a pseudo-India, Sindia, would require more research and nuance for John and Trishna to explore.

Spoilers?: Minor (artifacts within worldbuilding)
WANNA EXPLORE THE CREATIVE WRITING THOUGHT PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A WORLD? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Vertical Slice, October 2018

I’ll casually estimate that I’ve published over 80,500 words related to “The Story” as of yet, even though all content related to it could easily surpass 150,000. Everything is nebulously floating around inside my head, loosely organized, so even writing specific ideas twice each week are just subjective rough drafts. My plan is to write everything in one go after I feel confident that I can. Until then, here’s a 6,000-word vertical slice walking through “The Story.”

Spoilers?: Major (an entire brain-dump)
WANNA READ AS COMPREHENSIVE A LOOK INTO “THE STORY” AS IS POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Learning From Others

For as many complaints people unrequitedly say about their relationships, I only hear a few positive comments. I imagine that will also be true in “The Story,” where men will complain to John [right] and women will complain to Trishna [left] about their spouses. Maybe it’s easier to complain? Since the last essay focused on the negatives, below, let’s focus on the positives, because really the only difference is the intended outcome: progress or regress?

Spoilers?: Minor (just character brainstorming)
WANNA CONSIDER HOW WHAT WE HEAR WILL AFFECT HOW WE PRECEIVE REALITY? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!

[The Story] Complaining About Others

A customer complained to me about his wife’s technological irresponsibility. “I’ve got an audience, so let me tell you…[1]” and though his rationale was sound – yes, you should be careful with expensive technology – I applied their seemingly rocky relationship to Trishna [left] and John [right]. How much will they accept or tolerate of each other’s faults? I’ve always imagined “The Story” to be primarily a nice story about two friends. Will they have sore spots?

Spoilers?: Minor (exploring character traits)
WANNA CONSIDER WHY PEOPLE SHARE SECRETS WITH STRANGERS? CLICK HERE TO KEEP ON READING!