Just occurred to me as I was reading a work of mine. I'm making the scary presumption that you do, in fact, talk to yourself, either vocally, subvocally, or at least in your head. If you've never done this...well...just don't call the cuckoo's nest, a'right? I'm actually a big talker. As old as twelve, I would pack my school bag talking to myself, pretending to be a platoon commander arranging her troops into position for combat (I would literally yell at my pencils, "IN THE CASE, SOLDIER!"). Anyway, those were the benign days; nowadays I usually talk myself through anxious, upsetting, or cognitive-demanding tasks, and usually when I organize stuff. Though not as a platoon commander...just me. And a couple others. So here comes the focus of my topic: I usually talk to myself as "we". Not the royal "we", the plural "we". Cause I'm not alone in there, you know? I mean, I don't feel alone (again, don't call them orderlies). I noticed earlier today when I thought I had messed up something, I told myself, "We're going to be okay. Hang in there. We're gonna be just fine." It's always been that way; I never tell myself I'm gonna be okay. Huh. Well, aside for the fact that I have a pressing personality disorder, maybe it's a writer thing. XD So, how do you talk to yourself? Do you talk to yourself? And, bonus question: does it help you as a writer?
I talk to myself more than I think the DSM IV considers necessary for a pathology to be in play. Especially when I go walking. Complete conversations. All sides. It's great for writing. All kinds of shit plays out and eventually connects to my story.
As a psychology major I find myself frightened by the DSM-IV, though apparently I'm in the clear because I know the distinction between reality and imagination. To clarify, I'm referring to talking here done only with myself. As myself. I couldn't even begin to fathom how many conversations and in what circumstances I have had as my characters.
I talk to myself as "I"--the only "we" when talking to myself is the same kind of we" that I'd use in real conversation, as in, "We really have to get the ice maker fixed," referring to both me and the guy.
No, I meant as myself as well, but eventually connections get made with things having to do with stuff in my stories. You kinda' gotta' keep a loose grip on the reality part for that to happen. Tight grip on reality is overrated. Also, I listen to old-school trance (Oakenfold's Global Underground: New York is great) when I go walking or running. It makes for an easy slip into some bizarre trains of thought. It's great.
Congratulations! You're not crazy. I find it hard to talk when I'm listening to songs. Songs do act as great inspiration or precursor to a scene--many times a whole story--but difficult to keep up a conversation.
I dont think i ever talk to myself, at least i've never noticed myself doing it. My mouth and brain don't get along and love to trip each other up, i end up thinking about saying something or thinking something like 'this guy is an idiot' and then realising i've said it. The other end of this brain-mouth running battle would be when i was explaining to my grandmother (with all the family) at christmas that her 70yr old neighbour was a protestant....which came out as prostitute.
Now that I think about it, when I talk about myself I say 'you'. "What are you doing?" and the like. And it's always in a cockney accent (I'm not a cockney).
Most of what I say to myself out loud is profanity, after I've spilled/knocked over/broken yet another drink/pencil jar/any breakable thing within reach. I seem to have gotten really clumsy in my dotage.
Well, that must've been a gossipy Christmas. Well, I do say 'you' when I'm talking amongst myselves (new word!). Something like... "You just had to decant that beaker." "Just tell me what we're going to do about this." "We? It's YOUR fault! Get your act together!" "We're in this together, remember?" Ah, my brain. Congratulations, you're not insane and blunt
As a kid I did talk to myself and my invisible friends, but nowadays most of such roleplay is confined inside my head. This writing hobby sure affects it, 'cause I do go through dialogues in my head, in a way act them out, although some would probably call it planning... Sometimes I mutter to myself at work, and then there're, of course, those moments of miff that require spontaneous cursing. These situations can be embarrassing if I'm in public and accidentally use a different word than I intended (suppose this is the brain-mouth malfunction @Lae was talking about). Alas, a small woman with a childishly girly voice barking out [insert a penis euphemism] at her phone that has just disassembled itself on the pavement comes off more hilarious than badass. Sometimes I do record myself talking out ideas, e.g. if I'm jogging and get some more elaborate idea that I can't be arsed to type down.
I generally talk to myself in the third person and I only ever say snatches of one side of the conversation. So if I was running through some dialogue in my head between person A and person B I'll say random snatches of person A's dialogue allowed while the rest of the exchange is in my head. When I'm planning or doing maths I'll ask myself questions, talk gibberish and just keep saying words/numbers until the problem resolves itself in my head. I see it as perfectly normal, just how I process information.
The common people don't do this. They hate to be alone in a corner. They tend to social deal and conversation. one day I was somewhere that a party was there. One of those friend said, "I hate of loneliness. It makes me ill and mad. I should be beside my friends and talk them certainly. For me, nothing is better than talking with friends." Such persons never stay in privacy and try to be with others and have conversation. A writer can be different a little. He/she sometime need to be alone to think and plan a story. Also some writers may talk themselves, when they are thinking or writing. One day I was in my room and was writing a story, I was testing some dialogues to understand, whether they make any sense? I was reading them loudly based on the sense of the character, " Hi, Anderson come here. I found out something in this old book. I think it is the same thing that we were seeking for. The map of the treasure... Oh my God I hope it is the same..." My mother called me from other room," Mans, who are you talking to?" I surprised, embraced and told her' " Mama, I am talking one of my friends by phone" and then she convinced.
in all honest, im surprised no one has called the white coats on me, yes i do talk to myself, a lot. and i tend to forget myself and start muttering to myself while out and about, getting a few weird looks in the process.
No. No, I don't. Uh, yeah, dude. You do. All the time. In your head. Are you kidding? Not all of the time. Oh come off it! Why are you British? I don't know, you started it. Granted you are, of course, aware that it's yourself talking and not someone else? Of course, I know I 'm really having a conversation with myself in my head. Right, right. Now- hey, WHY ARE YOU POSTING THAT IN THE FORUM WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE WILL READ IT!? Because I can. Besides, it's not like I'm the only one now is it? We've read the above posts. They all do it. You're listening to the side who tells you to drink four cups of coffee and look up scary stories on creepypasta, you realize that? I call it your stupid side. BUT IT IS WORTH IT! Says you when you're awake in bed at 12:00 am wishing you hadn't done it. Anyway, it's 7:32 in the morning, so get off your butt and start your day. I've got a little running list of what we're to do today... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ I saw this thread and couldn't resist. I think it speaks for itself. ...You just posted it, didn't you? I hate you sometimes.
Oh gosh, I swear I am going to sue this for copyright violation of my thought processes. Har har. I'm practically rolling on the floor convulsing to death over here. You know this is looking ridiculous. Speak for yourself, fat face. -_-
I talk with myself in my head all the time, because I don't have friends. It's help me to write. I have two neurons, they talk a lot Even when I want to sleep :/
I talk to myself a lot. I stay away from plurals and third person perspectives, though, because I would freak myself out if I ever did that. Besides, I'm actually only one person, so doing so would also technically be incorrect. When I talk to myself, it's usually to try to put into words something I don't quite understand, to "discuss" things I disagree with or think is funny etc. (usually sparked by reading, watching or listening to something; and I often pause what I'm doing to talk about it before I continue) or plan and say what's happening or I'm doing at that moment, particularly if I'm playing a game. It depends on the situation why I do this, but it tends to be 1) a habit, 2) helpful to understand and remember stuff etc, or 3) enhancing the experience /being fun in itself. I love discussion things with others, and I like doing it with myself (or, rather, people who aren't there to ... defende themselves) almost as much.
