Things that make no sense

[rolanni]

So, a co-worker today asked me how my weekend had been.  I confessed that while I had made progress, I hadn’t gotten as much writing done as I had hoped to, which is sort of always the case, really.

She stared at me.  “Are you writing another book?”

Well, yeah; that’s what I do.

“When’s it due?”

August.

“Do you feel under pressure?”

Not so much pressure as I would just like to get the damn’ draft done so I can see what I have and what I don’t have.  Right now, it’s all sorta roiling around in my head and I can’t really see what’s missing.

“How do you do that?  Write, I mean.  Do you just make it up?”

Well, mostly.  I mean, the characters have history, and you have to respect that, plus it’s a complex book because it’s the elbow book that joins two parallel tracks of story.  Some of the setting’s been used in a previous book, so  I need remember where things are, and I have an idea of where it’s all going to wind up, but most of the time I’m wrong about that, so I expect that’s the case this time, too. . .

“But I mean, how do you do it?”

Damned if I know.  How do you not do it?

She laughed, and I did and we got on with the day.

But that got me thinking about all those things that other people seem to master so easily, which make no sense whatsoever to me.

Minesweeper, for instance.

Sudoku, for another.

Any arithmetical function higher than simple bookkeeping.

How to figure out how much will fit in what space.  And how.

There are more, but you get the idea.

It occurs to me that everybody must have these mental twitches; these easy, everday things that make no sense.

What’s yours?

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

Budgeting. It's not the arithmetic, it's the concept of combining arithmetic with money... at least, I think that's what it is.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, how are you at jigsaw puzzles?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Jeez, I haven't worked a jigsaw puzzle in years... I used to be decent -- one of those plodding folk who joins up the frame first and works in from there, with occasional flashes of "Oh! That's where that goes!" followed by long periods of staring.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

I asked because that, to me, has a large overlap to "will that thing fit in that space?" It's sort of how I learned to pack (that, and far too much moving).

[(Anonymous)]

Heh, I enjoy and am fairly good at jigsaw puzzles. But ask me to judge volume (e.g. leftovers into the appropriate tupperware) and I am hopeless. Apparently I only function in 2D.

[(Anonymous)]

Forgot to sign -- Susan

[shweta-narayan.livejournal.com]

My big one is sense of direction. I get turned around without even turning around, it seems.

[magda-vogelsang.livejournal.com]

I can tell where I'm going and what way I'm facing, *if* I've seen an overhead style map of where I am. Otherwise? No sense of direction to speak of. As opposed to my brother, who can emerge from a subway station knowing what direction he's facing.

I'm also lousy at judging distances beyond a few feet. I suspect that's a skill I could learn with practice, but I've never really had the need to. Which may be a problem if I ever take up archery (along with the fact that I'm right handed and left eye dominant).

On the other hand, I NEVER mix up left and right, which I realize is not the case for most people. I was trying to explain this to my brother (who is left handed, and needs to think about which is which), and he summed it up by saying "So you would no sooner confuse left and right than you would up and down?". Yep, pretty much.

Oh, and minesweeper makes perfect sense to me, but the little I've tried Sudoku, it didn't click for me.

Edit: And I can juggle, or at least keep a simple 3 ball cascade going just long enough to impress people.

[shweta-narayan.livejournal.com]

I'm a little better if I've seen an overhead map.

OTOH minesweeper, sudoku, almost any other puzzle game? They're like candy for me. Idunno.

[norilana.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on Minesweeper. It's soothing and perfectly logical. (I used to be addicted to it in the 90's.)

The other stuff... not so much. ;-)

[baggette.livejournal.com]

I seem to have a knack for making order out of chaos...except with math and money. There I make chaos and deficit out of what was order.

[doushkasmum.livejournal.com]

I can do the what will fit in space thing. I remember astonishing the man in the shop when I insisted that the full sized wine barrel would so fit in my small hatchback car. It did too, but he had to measure it before he would bring it out for me. 8->

I don't have trouble understanding how writers make things up. I will never be a writer because the stories I make up are never interesting but I understand the process. 8-> I think people who don't get this were deprived as children and never got to play "let's pretend" or possibly stoped doing so far too soon.

[gentlescholar.livejournal.com]

Identifying when someone is lying.
Noticing and reading subtext.
Negotiating street traffic without fear.
Watching horror films.
Meditation.

[(Anonymous)]

I DO get Sudoku, but not Minesweeper at all. Or, really, any video games. I prefer my entertainment to sit still while I examine it, instead of having to chase it all over the screen!

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

Is that a problem with movement, or with time limits?

[sraun]

Let's see - I can do the 'how do I make this collection of oddly-sized stuff fit into that space' thing really well.

But I can't do food volume - what size bowl do I need for this recipe? Will this set of left-overs fit in that container? None of those.

I'm really good at translating between user and geek. This tends to get me 'How do you do that?' from both sides.

[wolflahti.livejournal.com]

Hah! I can write, do sudoku, Minesweeper, jigsaw puzzles, volume estimations, and crosswords!

Can't juggle worth a darn, though.

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

I've got no sense of direction whatsoever -- I can get turned around trying to find the elevator from my hotel room. People who can reliably find their way back to a place they've only been to once amaze me.

[drammar.livejournal.com]

This, a thousand time, this.

My husband and I recently visited a place we hadn't been to for near 20 years. He knew his way around with no problem, despite new roads and freeways.

Me? I get lost finding the bathroom at work.

*sigh* and I can proofread other people's words, but rarely my own.

[mardott.livejournal.com]

Sudoku, Minesweeper, I can do. I sit in awe of my husband when we play Myst. How does he figure that stuff out?

Volume estimations - well, I'm a cook. I have to. Crosswords? Nuh-uh.

Oh and writing. I can do that too.

[ariaflame.livejournal.com]

Reading while walking. Been doing that since midway through primary school. (Though I do try to be more advertent when crossing roads or car parks)

Can do sudoku, some crosswords, and occasionally I can answer questions online before they get asked, but that's more experience.

[(Anonymous)]

Visualizing things in 3 dimensions based on 1 or 2 pictures. I was almost an adult before I understood not everyone looks at a picture (or an xray) and cannot see the item in its entirety, but rather as a flat image.

I could not write a novel for anything. Fortunately, we all have different skills

Jean in New Ulm

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

Give me a thinking type puzzle game and I am good. Anything that requires reflexes and coordination, gross motor skills, I cannot do if my life depended on it. Actually that goes for non-game activity as well. Fine eye-hand coordination is good, I'm an artist.

I like 3D puzzles - like put all of this stuff in that van. That is more from extreme practice when younger I moved a lot and it was long distance. New England - Midwest - New England - MidWest - different Midwest - different MidWest etc.

[isabellag.livejournal.com]

Spelling. No question. You give me a word, I can spell it. In English, of course, or the Australian/English equivalent thereof. I'm still coming to grips with color, flavor etc. I blame Ben Franklin.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Knitting is a black art. Yes, I understand that it is a continuous slip-knot (pull one end and it all un-knots!), but manipulating the needles to get there is a mystery. I do, however, understand crochet. Go figure...

Most 3-dimensional stuff is lost on me. Those puzzle blocks totally lose me.

I have a sense of direction, but it seems to work like a loop antenna -- it's either correct or it's 180 degrees out. Long curves in the road (and cloverleaf junctions) often have me thinking I'm going in exatly the wrong direction, until I can re-synchronise using the sun (or GPS these days). I also have an 'inertial' location sense, I don't know where I am in terms of any recognised units but I know "I went in *that* direction for *that* long so we should be about *there*" (again, as long as my direction hasn't flipped 180).

Crosswords and jigsaws I can do with someone else, there are certain bits I will get which they won't and vice versa. One Christmas my aunt had a book of Latin crosswords, and even not knowing very much Latin I got parts she didn't.

Soduku and the like I'm likely to start writing a program to solve it ("brute force" usually), the same with crypto puzzles. I'm much more interested in how it is solved than in actually doing it. I did the same a long time back with Rubik's Cube.

[rdmasters.livejournal.com]

Drawing. That's a real mystery to me. Come to that, most fine dex things are a bit of an issue for me. Soduku just feels bleh to me, so I cannot say that I have tried it much.

Packing is second nature for me - I had it hammered into me as a youf (Scouts and all).

Space concerns

[(Anonymous)]

In Local Custom, what really made me fall in love with Er Thom was his neat packing job, putting away the supplies he had purchased for Anne and Shan. My kitchen cupboards could use his expertise!

I tried to log in, honest I did, Sharon -- that's one reason I'm so happy you are writing the blog on your new website. I want the little photo/symbol, that's why I'm persisting in my attempts!

Re: Space concerns

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

You don't need to log in; but I will ask you to sign your posts. I like to know who I'm talking to.

[(Anonymous)]

Spatial relationships, pattern recognition and logical processes. Many popular games, I find myself adding limits to maintain the challenge.

Brom

[(Anonymous)]

Stuff that has to do with things is easy: if you need help figuring the most efficient way to cram the most cargo in a confined space, whether it's a closet, a pickup truck, or a C-17, I'm your guy.

People are difficult. I don't grok people well at all.

Of course, the fact that I seem to have a very mild form of Asperger's Syndrome explains at least some of this.

[brock-tn.livejournal.com]

The above is my fault. I posted without realising I wasn't signed in.

[muehe.livejournal.com]

No good at puzzles (crossword, Sudoku, minesweeper). I like chess, but I just can not think ahead.

I have no sense of direction.

I can not visualize objects in 3 day. I can not even visualize how a room would look if I painted it a different color.

I am not creative.

I am pretty good at pattern recognition and simplifying things.

contradictions ...

[elgordo303.livejournal.com]

my sense of direction is flawless but i have to think about left vs. right (if i don't stop to think i'm wrong way more than half the time!)

i can do higher math(trig/calculus) but sudoku frustrates me ...

i help people complete crosswords that they can't finish ... but i can't do a crossword puzzle to save my life.

as for minesweeper ... the first square i click usually has a mine under it ... i think i've beaten that stupid game exactly once in my entire life.

[scrapcat.livejournal.com]

I have absolutely no sense of direction and my 8-year old granddaughter beats me at Othello. I am a whiz at spelling,
grammar, and punctuation.

[(Anonymous)]

Mathematics I can do; same with logic puzzles like Sudoku and Minesweeper (logically, not necessarily quickly).

Writing... I've written some amateur filk songs, though not as many as I'd like.

But what I cannot do is put names to faces or even recognise faces. I'm terrible at it. One reason I like conventions is that everyone wears badges *with the name they want to be called written on them.* It makes things much easier. Many faces simply do not look different to me. ("What did they look like?" "Err, glasses, short hair.." "What colour?" "No idea")

I used to have a good memory for things I'd heard or read, but I would never have been able to do Miri's memorisation trick.

Mike Richards

[roseaponi.livejournal.com]

I'm not so good with names and faces, either :)

I've gotten quite good at deciphering ultrasounds recently :) And recently I got a 4-D of my baby,(which I posted on my LJ today) so that one's _easy_ to see. However, I have a sister who can't tell what any type of ultrasound represents, is at a loss with those Magic Eye 3-D pictures, and other things. But she's very talented with photography - she has an instinct for what makes a nice picture and how to pose people.

Hmm... I can pack vehicles, paper bags, and storage totes efficiently (parents ran a mail-order business - lots of packing all the time) and I can assemble, flatten, and reassemble any variety of cardboard box.

I love jigsaw puzzles, but don't do them because pieces will go missing. And flat surfaces get co-opted for other purposes.

I have no instincts for housekeeping whatsoever.If there is anything that seems overly fussy about house management, I avoid it. I do not iron (if it's prone to wrinkling, I get it out of the dryer and on a hanger as soon as it's done). I do not balance my checkbook (I check my accounts online). I do not dust (very few knicknacks). I have _enough_ to do getting clothes, dishes, and floors in order every day without being picky over it. Yesterday, my son (age 4) cleaned my bathtub and shower for me - I plopped him in the tub with bubbles and a magic eraser and told him to scrub. Sure, he missed spots, but I don't care. He had fun, anyway :)

Math - gah. I can, but it's a hassle. And I understand what algebra is supposed to do, and how to do it, but I have no feeling for it at all. I can't ever tell if it's right or not. The same with sudoku and minesweeper - I can explain it to someone else, but I can't wring any enjoyment out of it myself.

And writing, reading, and drawing are practically instinctive for me. I was shocked to discover in kindergarten that other kids still did stick figures and couldn't understand what I was doing when I drew two parallel lines per arm and leg.

My son's reading is quite good now too - he can read any of the "My First I Can Read Books" already. Drawing - not so much. He won't even color in a picture - he scribbles all over it. He likes adding and has an idea of subtraction. He makes up stories too, so I hope he'll get to be a writer with me :)

[roseaponi.livejournal.com]

(sorry that was so long. My excuse is that I've profiled 3 people for you instead of just me)

[baobrien.livejournal.com]

Reading, yes! I'm always a little shocked by people who just don't. For me, it's like breathing.

I've just done a series of interviews for entry level positions. One of the questions I always ask is what do you read / how much would you read in a typical month? What they answer tells me so much more about them than any questions about experience or coursework. I find it sad and frightening that so many people only admit to reading things like the Wall Street Journal.

[baobrien.livejournal.com]

There are people out there who really track what cards are in other people's hands - in detail. And follow up with comments like "why didn't you..." or "you should have..."

I'm someone who enjoys playing cards and can do well, but if you ask me how many spades or hearts remain in play, or who probably has what card left in their hands, I won't know.

Puzzles are good, video games where you put bits into order please me and I find somewhat addictive (Tetris, etc) - but I don't have the patience to deal with RPGs or complex video games at all.

The other area where preferences apply are in the arts. I know people who love working with clay but can't or won't paint. I make quilts, but tried weaving, knitting and crocheting and couldn't see the appeal... I'd probably never be able to make lace like Theo!

B. O'Brien

Volume and Spherical thinking can actually be quite hard

[(Anonymous)]

That whole how-much-can-you-fit-in-one-space talent can be quite
hard for some. I think of it as a talent but it can probably be
learned with effort, rather like Pat Rin's struggles with piloting.

Myself - I can integrate and differentiate and perform higher level
calculus and algebra ---but ask me to hand-add my timecard? yeesh.
Because I KNOW this is an issue, I am very very VERY careful with
adding up the till.
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks