7.28.2010

WIP Wednesday: Math Analogies, no seriously.

While trying to convince Alz to sacrifice sleep in order to watch Inception with me and Luce this past Saturday morning, I ended up sort of blowing my own mind. This is what happens when I voluntarily bring MATH into a conversation (which is close to never).

We chatted about various works in progress, which brought up my last year's NaNoWriMo story. The story, if you're curious, involves an esteemed old family, whose baggage includes an equally old curse that hasn't become any less deadly with age. It's supposed to sort of be my summer project, but I got distracted (okay, so really this is just my procrastination in action, but I digress). Alz and I then had the following conversation:

KRISPY: Part of what's keeping me from writing it is I still haven't figured out how the problem is solved. Like I know enough of everything leading up to the climax, but nothing afterward.

ALZ: What's after the climax? Falling action!

KRISPY: Well, maybe it's not really the climax. It's like I have from point A to point B, but not-

ALZ: But not B to Z?

KRISPY: Um, no. I was going to say B to C. There's only 3 points on my scale! A, B, and C! The whole alphabet is too complicated!

ALZ: Okay, so you can't get from B to C.

KRISPY: Right. I can get to the point where the big plot twist/problem is revealed and things are going wrong, but I can't resolve it. I even plotted with Luce! I told her everything, and you know how I hate to divulge secrets.

ALZ: And she couldn't help you figure it out?

KRISPY: No! She helped me un-complicate some things, but we got up to that point and both of us were stumped. I don't know how to explain more without spoiling you. It's like we're at the tip of the iceberg and we can't get down.

ALZ: ...

KRISPY: Or like, you know in math, like in Calculus, when you're trying to - wait, I take that back. You didn't take Calculus and I don't remember enough of it to make this analogy work. Um, oh! Okay, this one's a BETTER analogy. It's like in GEOMETRY, you know, when you have to do those proofs. You have the two statements and you have to use theorems and stuff to show how one gets to the other.

ALZ: Yes...

KRISPY: So it's like when you're doing those and you know which theorems to use to start off with. Then you get halfway through the proof and you realize you have no idea what theorem to use next to get to the end! IT'S LIKE THAT.

ALZ: YES! I know exactly what you mean.

KRISPY: I can't believe I just used a math analogy for writing.

ALZ: Yeah, that was pretty good. You should blog it.

KRISPY: I do need a post idea...

ALZ: DO IT! And write your story.

KRISPY: So, you know what's more mind-blowing than math analogies for writing? Inception. You should totally come with.


I still haven't figured out the rest of that geometry WIP proof. Sad times.

5 comments:

Tere Kirkland said...

LOL, logic proofs are the only math problems I'm good at.

I wish I had some time to work on my WiP, but I'm back to revisions. I usually know how things are going to end before I get started, but I still don't know exactly where that story is going yet. It'll be fun when I finally get back to it, though.

XiXi said...

WAAAA, I really need to see Inception. Everyone is making me so curious about it.

Also, I didn't realize you were a lot older than me until recently, and I felt like an infant.

Krispy said...

Tere- True, of all the math I had to endure, proofs were one of the only things I kind of liked.

I usually don't know the ends of my stories. Meh.

Xixi- Go see it! I didn't use to have a crush on Joseph Gordon Levitt, but I do now. XP It's the suits; whoever dressed him in the movie did an A+++ job. But also the movie is very good with amazing visuals and also a really cool fight scene.

Do not feel like an infant! I know I act like a 5 year old. ;) But srsly, this whole time I thought I was like 2-ish years older, but NO, it is FOUR.

Lydia Kang said...

Sometimes in geometry, it helps to start with your answer, and proof it backwards.
Have you tried starting at point C and working your way backwards?

I really want to see Inception. Soon, hopefully!

Krispy said...

Lydia- You are a genius! That is what Alz suggested as well. So I may try that soon. :) Thanks!