Writer Brain

So it took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to write about this time. I mean my book's not out yet so it's hard to talk about that. And I have some other news but I can't share that yet. I started running through possible topics in my head and I'm not even going to tell you what all I thought about. And then it dawned on me, one of my favorite topics: Writer Brain.

Now for those of you who don't write, you have no idea what I'm talking about but you will in a moment. And fellow writers may not have heard it called that but you'll understand.

Writer brain is the condition with which all authors are afflicted and it works something like this. Scenario: I am driving down the road with a steep hill on one side. A car approaches from the other direction. No big deal, happens everyday.

Only my brain does this: what if that car swerved into my lane? If I swerved to miss him I'd go down the embankment. I wonder if it's steep enough that my van would roll. Is my phone charged so someone could find my husband's number? And then the car passes harmlessly by me and my brain is on to something else.

This translates into writing like this: So my heroine is driving in her car at night listening to the radio. But what if it was raining? And what if it was the middle of no where? And two o'clock in the morning. And the car dies. And her cell phone is dead. And then while she's sitting there a car pulls up behind her. And it's being driving by the idiot at work who stole her promotion and made a lewd pass at her. Or maybe she sees a UFO. Or a giant wolf.

There is a reason some people say there is a thin line between crazy and genius. While my brain working overtime can drive me a little nuts sometimes, it sure makes writing fun. So what about you? If you're a writer do you share this quirk? If you're a reader, what quirks do you have in your thought processes?

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Kathleen Collins is sitting in her corner going slowly insane while waiting for her first book to be released in October. You should go visit and keep her company at www.kathleencollins.net