On Plunging In With An Open Heart
Putting advice from experts away and letting the instinct back in
Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things. -Ray Bradbury
When I become analytical and start considering the structure of sentences, layers of meaning, metaphors, poetic language, emotional backstory, etc. my brain shuts down. I can't overthink the writing process and too much (or reading about it) or it begins to have a dulling effect on me. I know we're all different and my brain may be a bit unusual in this way, but here is the thing: When I plop my ass down, set a timer, and try to make sense of some weird random words or an image and it flows from within. That is how I write well, and always have. My imagination needs to get ignited and the other stuff follows.
When I intellectualise the process I stiffen up. All of the endless posts about how to write flash fiction from all of the gurus are fine, and I'm sure they're helping some folks.
But for me, Meg Pokrass, it's always going to be about tricking myself into forgetting myself entirely, turning on the heart, and diving into that cold, exhilarating lake.
My own experience (v much a personality thing) is that I needed the scaffolding of technique whilst I found my voice, but I’ve learnt (and unlearnt) enough craft now to trust my own judgement - and also to trust the answer (to why something isn’t working) will turn up eventually.
I do enjoy a lot of the craft chat - especially on technique - it’s more like an adjacent hobby to the writing, however.
So I’m not the only one who has this problem! But then how does one improve, if the very process of learning is counterproductive? This is exactly what I’m struggling with right now. I try to read tons of flash fiction stories published in magazines and books, analyze them for craft, and when it comes time to apply that knowledge, all it does is flood me with expectations. And then I’m stuck, and can only get unstuck by starting work on something else.