tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post6658692796798824534..comments2023-10-29T06:46:47.858-05:00Comments on brooke johnson's blog: story immersionBrookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-72569051324538278662011-04-09T12:02:09.433-05:002011-04-09T12:02:09.433-05:00This post is about a familiar subject: my total fo...This post is about a familiar subject: my total focus on what I'm writing. My wife knows when I'm immersed in a story because it means I'm not in the real world at the moment. The research, too, is interesting--fun actually--and while I know it helps me write, I hope it ends up in the story one way or another, ramping up the authenticity.Malcolm R. Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07840134761199335243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-9864719253694428722011-04-08T11:57:30.348-05:002011-04-08T11:57:30.348-05:00Darby, you are the best. :)Darby, you are the best. :)Brookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-36358608357003387542011-04-08T11:54:29.052-05:002011-04-08T11:54:29.052-05:00In the name of fiction, I taught myself some Gaeli...In the name of fiction, I taught myself some Gaelic, found and used my old Latin textbook, and even tried on a pair of loose jeans and made them sag, then jumped off my deck in them to see what boys struggle with in their daily sartorial endeavors.Darby Karchuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03438062835557638468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-47854614639677212412011-04-08T11:39:44.321-05:002011-04-08T11:39:44.321-05:00I always thought my method was a bit crazy, and po...I always thought my method was a bit crazy, and possibly near-psychotic... my husband seems to think so. I always wondered how science fiction writers did it. It's so much easier to research the past. Now with all the scientific discoveries we make every day, it could be hard to imagine where that might lead in 10 years, 100 years, or even 1000 years.<br /><br />I agree that working on characters is a great way to immerse yourself, because most of the time, you want your story to be character-driven, and the setting (whether it be in a fictional steampunk city or a far-future Manhattan) is just the backdrop for what they do. I've never really compiled "playlists" per se... There are certain music elements that I can work to effectively. For steampunk, I've been listening mostly to techno, even though it's more of a sci-fi sound. When I write fantasy, I listen to orchestral, and if the story is to a specific area, I try to find music that echoes the culture of that place.<br /><br />I HAVE read <i>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</i>. It was my first introduction to steampunk-esque literature... I read it back when I was twelve-years-old, and the story has stuck with me all this time. I have seen <i>Steamboy</i> so many times, you wouldn't believe. It's one of my favorite animes. I just don't get why most of the steampunk literature that's coming out now is meshed with paranormal... I greatly dislike paranormal. I want true steampunk that's immersed in the mechanics and technical aspect of it all. Not, sort-of steampunk, sort-of paranormal. Even weird west has zombies and the like. I don't get it!Brookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09728905100557593958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6061380174371002029.post-22841203401008088032011-04-08T10:37:56.377-05:002011-04-08T10:37:56.377-05:00I write mostly science fiction, specifically the f...I write mostly science fiction, specifically the far-future flavor. So I can't really immerse myself in the culture the way you do (although I think your method is AWESOME) because there's no culture to research. The closest thing I can come to is researching emerging technology and theoretical science (I wrote a blog post about it earlier this week). So, the way I get into the story is 1) really working hard on developing my characters (the more I know them, the more I want to tell their story) and 2) I compile playlists to go along with my story (soundtracks, if you will, that coincide with the various scenes I've put together). Listening to the music helps me define and capture the mood and tone of each scene.<br /><br />P.S. Have you read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne? It's not exactly current, but it definitely falls into the steampunk category. And there are no vampires, demons, ghouls, ghosts, or angels in sight! You might also consider watching Steamboy, directed and written by Katsuhiro Otomo. It is a <i>wonderful</i> example of steampunk in its essence.Reecehttp://rhanzon.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com