I’ve been thinking about the concept of Garbage in/Garbage out as it applies to multiple aspects of life. I’ve heard it most commonly applied to diet–capitalizing on the thought that you cannot have a great physique if you live on terrible foods. It is not hard to apply that theorem to writing. You cannot write well if all you consume is terrible writing. This would account for the high percentage of fan fiction that follows poorly written books. I am no literature snob. I’ll spend as much time between the pages of a Drew Karpyshyn fantasy or video game-based novel as often as I dive into anything considered classic literature. What I do focus on is good writing. Less garbage in = Less Garbage out.
Can we apply that theorem to personal relationships and the development of a social life. I am convinced that the majority of people fall into their friendships out of convenience and a general avoidance of awkwardness. Some people, though hard to be around, persist and create that sense of ‘man I wish he’d would go away’. I’ve been wanting to write a story about bad neighbors for a while now, but haven’t found the voice to tell that story. The way I see it the protagonist falls into an ever deepening series of personal relationships based on a connection to a specific neighbor and in doing so manages to step back from spending time with that neighbor–the guy who won’t go away–only to discover that he himself is that guy for everyone else in his deepening social network. It could be fun.
The last time I just had fun writing a story was one I published in World of Shadows about a worker who tries to solve the mystery of a theft that is pinned on him before it costs him his job. I’m freely streaming between ideas right now, so what I am really saying is it is important to have fun with your writing.
Maybe I should’ve just called this post Weird Writing Tips from the TalisFiles.