February 2, 2007
Vision
How’s your vision these days?
It is a subjective opinion, of course, but I’m inclined to believe that Michelangelo was the greatest sculptor ever. (I would place Bernini, especially his Ecstasy of St. Theresa, as second, but again–a subjective opinion).
I remember the first time I heard about Michelangelo’s claim that he could see the figures hidden, locked inside the marble. It was simply his job to chip away to free the perfect image inside the stone.
Few if any of us are so gifted in our chosen creative fields. Especially as far as creating worlds, characters, and stories with our writing. We chip, hammer, saw, cut, melt, malign, mutilate, slice, dice, and serve up the remnants, but I think they rarely live up to our dreams and visions of what the manuscript should be.
I’m not fortunate enough to have that kind of divine ability. But every once in a while, I manage to jab a very tiny spigot into that pipeline—and there, there is just the right expression. Or magically, there’s a sentence, or even a page or two I hadn’t planned that just sings through.
How often does this happen for you? Does it mystify you, or do you just accept it as part of the creative process? Ever find yourself reading over something you’ve written and wondering where in the world it came from?
Or do you have little habits or rituals that seem to get you into that ‘zone’?
Share, please. ![]()



It always amazes me.
At the same time I’m never surprised when I see that sort of lovely stuff in someone else’s writing.
I agree w/Bernita but I get so tickled when it happens–ie the Elves which will probably go down as one of my favorite lines I’ve ever written EVAH!
I kind of like that guy who sculpts Elvis in butter …
I try never to question anything I write. If the muses like me, it’s fine; if they’re PMSing (and yes, Muses have PMS) I leave them alone.:annoy:
But it is nice when that happens.
I just want to say I’ve been to Florence and seen the statue of David. It’s my favorite statue ever! I’ve also been to the Vatican. Amazing!
Love all the new smilies.
I have a pirate in my ancestry.
This one’s fitting for today :snowman:
:hump::lmao:
There have been pieces (books, poems it varies) I have written that when I am through I cannot believe I wrote it - it’s almost like channeling.
…and then there are times it’s like plucking the wolfman’s ass with dull tweezers trying to get a piece to flow
It comes it goes….
Actually, more than anything else, it bugs me when that happens. Why? Because it shows me that I’m capable of writing at a higher level, but not sustaining it. Very, very, very frustrating.
I’ve forgotten where the zone is. Can someone send me a map? LOL
Dennie you nailed it–or tweezed it as the case may be
Jordan do you think you don’t sustain it or do you think maybe you do, then reach higher? Did that make sense?
Cece, Yes, it made sense, but I think it’s that I don’t sustain it. I wish that it were a case of reaching higher. I mean I rarely tend to be pleased by what I’ve written and I know I’m super hard on myself in general, but I have to continuously fight to keep from falling back into lazy writing habits.
I have no ritual to get me into the zone. Wish I did. However, I have written stuff and ten thought “WOW - that was brilliant” Unfotunately, that doesn’t happen that often.
(I just wanted to use the new pirate smilie - OMG I totally have to steal it! lol)