The Writer Brain is Always “Open in the Background”
One of my favorite things to do—not surprisingly—is talk to other writers about writing. Not so much about technique, but about that peculiar little world that goes on inside our heads, and how it occasionally leaks into real life.
Dinner Conversations with a Side of Imaginary Dialogue
A few years ago, I was chatting with my good friend Sharon (we met in a writers group ages ago), and she laughed about how she will be out to dinner with someone and her mind can’t help wandering back to the last scene she was writing.
And honestly? I knew exactly what she meant. When you’re deep in the middle of a book, the characters can get downright persistent—like they’re tugging on your sleeve, insisting you come back and listen. So, you find yourself having that tiny half-second delay between, What did that person just say? and What’s the appropriate response here?
It’s not boredom at all. It’s just that the story is running in the background, and sometimes the people in your imagination are talking a little louder than the people sitting across the table.
The Strange, Wonderful Side Effect of Living with Stories
If you’ve ever found your mind drifting into a daydream (or a memory, or a “what if?”) in the middle of an ordinary moment, you’ll understand the feeling. It’s one of those strange, wonderful side effects of living with stories—whether you’re writing them or simply carrying them around in your heart.
And it’s also part of why I’m always grateful for readers who love stepping into these worlds with me.
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