cj Sez: Very happy today to have as my guest blogger, a fellow Sister in Crime, Gin
Mackey. Gin’s tips on getting into that elusive creative writing
zone are spot on. Welcome, Gin.
MAY THE (CREATIVE) FORCE BE WITH YOU
Thanks for the chance to spend time over here at Lyrical
Pens, cj.
Has this ever happened to you? You’ve been hard at work,
immersed in your writing for hours. Finally you put your head up, find yourself
coming out of a lovely daze, your characters more real to you than
what’s-his-name—oh yes, your husband—out in the kitchen, making dinner.
As you come to, you’re wondering: What. Just. Happened?
On those days, hard at work feels more like hard at play. You’re
not attempting to orchestrate your characters into doing anything, you’re
simply running alongside them, tapping away as fast as your fingers can fly,
trying to keep up.
You’re in the zone. The creative zone.
When I have days like that.… Ooh. I get shivers just
thinking about it. It’s better than…. Well, fill in the blank for yourselves,
folks. It’s better than a whole lot of pretty great things in life. It’s like a
magic portal opened up, and you entered into another world, a world that’s the result
of your own imagination in a dance with the universe.
Are there times when a bout of creativity makes you believe
there is something greater than your puny powers at work? That there is a wondrous
choreographer in the sky, a force for good, a God? Creativity at its best feels
a bit blessed.
Have you ever scaled a mountain, exerted yourself for hours
until you finally stood at the tippity top? That first look around—of boundless
beauty and breadth—is breathtaking. I say that’s majesty. Save yourself all
that exertion! You can get that feeling without leaving your desk, brought to
you by your friend creativity.
But creativity can be mercurial. A few tips on beguiling it
in:
Start writing as close to the dream state as possible. Get
out of bed and write. I’ve heard of writers who make their coffee the night
before and have it in a thermos ready to go by their desk. Think of times
you’ve been awakened mid-dream, those big-as-a-house, velvet-winged black birds
so real you expect to see them outside your window.
There’s not a lot to recommend housework if you ask me. But
that endless drudgery you know you’ll only have to do again next month allows creativity
to flourish. Paper and pencil are never far away so you can note your great
ideas. The resulting random 2,483 scraps of paper dotting your office? That’s a
different blog.
Bum glue. Sit in your chair until creativity makes an
appearance, no matter how long it takes. Lots of writers espouse this.
Personally I find the term “bum glue” distasteful so I don’t adhere to it. All
right, that’s a cheap laugh. Hey, I wrote Suddenly
Spying, a madcap caper. Of course I like cheap laughs!
But sometimes I
will sit down at my desk, whistle a happy tune and just write—about my to-do
list, the weather, the garden—until creativity thinks I’m not paying attention.
Almost as if I ignore it, now it wants to play. Suddenly a character appears, a
scene unfolds and…. Whee!
When I’m feeling creativity has gone on vacation, I look at
this TEDTalk by Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame). You’ll see why it’s
been watched more than eleven million times. Your Elusive
Creative Genius
.
What’s it like for you when creativity hits? Any tips you’d
like to share about beckoning creativity your way? Please chime in!
Til we meet again, may the force—the creative force—be with
you.
Gin Mackey is the author of SUDDENLY SPYING, a madcap caper. Her short stories have appeared in
the anthologies Best New England Crime Stories 2016: Red Dawn and Fish or Cut
Bait. Gin is a past president of the New England chapter of Sisters in Crime.
She lives on the coast of Maine, where she’s hard at work on her novel Disappear
Our Dead, featuring Abby Tiernan, a grieving widow turned home funeral guide. Visit
Gin at www.ginmackey.com
SUDDENLY SPYING
A madcap caper! Nora Gallagher’s super successful secret
agent sister Giselle dangles a big bucks spy assignment and promises to help
Nora learn the spy biz. Nora forgets about the time Giselle gave her a bouillon
cube and told her it was a caramel. Just short of shanghaied to tropical
Barlanadana Island, Nora gets her assignment: Stop a coup financed by dangerous
drug dealer Tommy the Twitch. But Giselle is weirdly jumpy, and spending lots
more time limboing with the locals than helping Nora learn the ropes. As a
Bermuda-triangle of troubles threatens to suck Nora under, she’ll have to morph
from low-achiever to agent extraordinaire, using skills she never knew she had
in ways she never imagined possible if she’s to stop a coup, save her sister,
and revive her own dying dreams.
cj Sez: Wow, thanks, Gin. I really enjoyed that post. Sending all best wishes for great
sales of Suddenly Spying. The description reminds me of a madcap “I Love Lucy”
episode, and I’m looking forward to some grins when I read it.
Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Be sure to drop
us a note and tell us how you get into your creative zone.
cjpetterson@gmail.com
In the interest of full disclosure, I do know Gin Mackey but no this Gin! Makes me want to grab this beachy title, tie on a sarong, slide into some flip-flops and head for the beach. Nora is thrust into an unexpected island caper where, I am sure in Gin's capable hands, she rises to the triple threat. Knowing Gin, I know this book is beyond a "beach book" and infused with intelligence, verve, wit, some shadowy scenes and redemption. Teresa Piccari
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by, Teresa. And I'm sorry the comment menu didn't work for you. It's something I will need to work on. I'm happy you enjoyed the post, and Gin said she would email you privately.
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