FLASH-JAM Instructions, please read before flashing Options

[Guest_Toumai_*]

Responding to FLASH postings: suggestions

The idea of flash writing is to access the creative side of our brain, to break mental barriers and to experiment.

Flashes are written quickly (twenty to thirty minutes maximum). They are not intended to be complete nor polished pieces of work.

This is not a critique forum: flashes are not seeking ‘improvement’ nor ‘tightening.’

However, it would be useful to have feedback so that everyone can sense what ideas and visions readers are seeing. For example, I have found sometimes reviewers see messages of which I was unaware when I wrote my flash  but that make sense when pointed out to me.

So please give any interpretations you find, and do please say if any phrases sparkle and spring to life; but don’t mention parts which ‘need work.’

To experiment we need space and encouragement, rather than the more usual style of crit.

[Guest_Toumai_*]

James suggested that I copy some of the replies from the MM Flash 09 feedback (03 Sept 2005) tile into this sticky/pinned tile.


From me (Toumai):

Hi, everyone

In his flash thread James writes (in response to some comments from Cathy):

Thank you very much, indeed! I have no idea how I write. On a different project, I have been struggling for months, trying to develop a story line, abandoned that and only now might just be starting to develop one at last... Real head-bashing stuff. Then Nina posts a flash and this just flies out.

I wish I could bottle inspiration and use it when I need it, too.

And Mike has also said something about the magic of the words appearing from somewhere beyond our expectations.

I always look at the stimulus, feel a moment of total panic then think, 'ah well, it doesn't matter; don't have to impress anyone; don't even have to post it,' and suddenly something flits into the edges of my consciousness and I'm off ...

Inspiration is a tricky subject. I've written for a while now, but only been writing poetry and meeting like-minded people via the web for less than a year, and it seems that we all work in very, very different ways.

I think the flashes work precicely because we DON'T think about them too much; we trick our minds; we sidestep conscious planning; we are not struggling 'head-on' with the issue we want to represent.

The conscious part of the brain plans, plots, analyses; wants to get it all right. The sub-conscious/creative brain is the part we find active as we are drifting off to sleep, or singing in the shower, or driving a road we know well, or walking the dog. If we decide to TRY hard the conscious brain takes over; it is the part we are taught to use for 'common sense' and it is bossy and inflexible. Sometimes idea have to be allowed to sneak in.

The good thing about the flashes is that I now trust myself more to 'flash' at any trouble area in a novel; instead of racking my brain I just let the characters have their heads and see what comes up as I write, or I go for a long walk (and usually end up with a poem instead, lol).

Fran


And then in response to that from Nina:

I think I tend to rely initially on the sub-conscious part of my brain, letting the thoughts come to me randomly.  I don't generally decide that I want to write on a specific subject, rather wait till ideas, inspiration comes to me.  I love the ten word challenges because I see the words and then a picture will form in my mind (not always one I can put on MM).  I try as well to allow the poem to go in the direction it wants which is sometimes quite different to what I started out with.

The mind is a fascinating, extremely powerful instrument and actually little is really known about it.

Nina