Kootenai River in NW Montana, near Canadian Border

Kootenai River in NW Montana, near Canadian Border
photo by Gene Tunick of Eureka, Montana

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Tip O'Day #260 - Beware of C.O.F.A. Syndrome

Guest blogger Rosalie Skinner, author of the 8-book Chronicles of Caleath series, says to beware of becoming a Compulsive Obsessive Fantasy Author.

Imagine being able to travel to any time and place in your imagination. With no restrictions on world size, character numbers or physical laws. Take your pick of character traits, cultures, hierarchy, and villains, throw in a heroine or two, add a hero worth following to the ends of a dozen worlds. Bring with your imagination a set of circumstances that might give your troupe of heroes a little grief, a chance to shine, grow, fail, succeed, discover, teach, learn, and love.

Sound like fun?

Take care though. This daydreaming of other worlds, creating details, forming climates, cultural differences, standards and religions can be compelling. The danger lies in becoming obsessed. I speak as one who has been there. When you find each day spent in reality clashes with the moments you are able to retreat back into the world of your creation, it’s time to write. Write, and keep on writing.

Eight books later, the story is down, the conflict resolved, the characters are finally quiet. For now. There are rumblings, still. The danger doesn’t dissolve. It remains in the shadows, in the quiet moments when imagination can run amok.

Learn more about this author at her website or her blog.
Dixon says: Of all my addictions and obsessions, writing is my favorite.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for having me here today Dixon. I have to agree, writing is my favorite obsession. So far I am not looking for a cure!! My family might be!!

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  2. I can understand how you become so focused and absorbed in your wonderful fantasy world, Rosalie, with companions like Caleath, Gwilt and Naseth. It's Compulsive Obsessive reading too. So reader beware. You'll love this series and might forget to go to work, hehehe

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  3. I just recently decided to add some hobbies to my day, because writing had become all I talked about to the point where I was tired of talking about it.

    I keep telling myself since January: "Stop talking-Write: No Excuses. This is the year of no excuses."

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