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
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