And in this corner... the Universe!

Ann Parker here, Thursday's child every other week on the LadyKillers. I have to say, I love the posts this week so far, from Mary Anna's "put it in perspective," to Priscilla's "challenges in writing," to Camille's "pass" on climbing every mountain and fording every stream! As for me, I'm going to mash them all together, with a strong nod toward "put it in perspective."

When I'm working on a big writing project, there's usually a point (or several) where I freeze, and a little inner voice (which, I believe, is from my seven-year-old self) says with panic, "I can't do it!" When I hear that little voice, I know it's time to take a deep breath and forge on. How?

Put it in perspective (thank you, Mary Anna!). There's a great book, Powers of Ten (it was also a film), that visually describes orders of magnitude wonderfully. (You can step through the visuals of scale here.) This sort of "perspective" calms me. I mean, really, who can stress about a deadline when checking out the image of 10 to the 12th? Put another way, "Will any of this really matter ten, twenty, thirty, one-hundred years from now?" Don't make me laugh! Realizing that space and time will continue, no matter what happens on the scale of my life, is very comforting. And (importantly) it allows me to move forward.

... And I was worried about what??

When I move forward, the size of the challenge shrinks in my fevered brain from overwhelming to low-stakes (thank you, Camille!). No one will die if I flub up, the world goes on, and so will I (in my small-scale, mortal way). Thus relieved of inner panic, the wheels of my imagination stutter back into motion, fingers are back on the keyboard, and I type. (So what if it isn't the most beautiful prose ever written? Not important. Great relief.)

...Flying fingers, released from panic.

When those wheels start turning and the fingers start typing, things start to happen. I start having fun again. If I'm working on one of my mysteries, nifty clues spring to mind and I start pondering what I can do to "surprise" the reader, to bring something new to the table (thank you, Priscilla!).

...Imagination is a lovely thing, when unleashed!

And finally, when faced with challenges that seem overwhelming, I turn to others for inspiration and reminders on how to proceed. Thank you, LadyKillers!

Comments

[Camille Minichino]

Thanks, Ann. Nice reminders, all!

I've never that particular "powers of ten," with narration. Teaching tools just get better and better!

[Staci]

Isn't it amazing how one moment of panic can block all creative process? I like your idea of taking a moment to put things in perspective and realizing that the next sentence, paragraph, or even chapter that I write is not the be-all end-all that I think it is.

[Ann]

Hi Camille! Yep, I was pleased to come across this. I have the book in my bookcase, but the website is... wow! :-)

[Ann]

Hi Staci!
Noooo foolin'. I think it's a throwback to fight or flight, and the poor brain cells are overruled. I forgot to mention I also use the power of caffeine and the power of music to help me get thinking again. :-)
It's all one step at a time, one word at a time, and forward we go!

[Mysti]

Reading your post made me realize that somewhere in draft two of WIP, I slipped off my "have fun" hat and put on my "panicked got to finish this" hat, which I didn't even know I had.

Thanks for great reminder that if I'm not having some fun, my reader likely won't either!

[Margaret Lucke]

Enjoyed the film, Ann. I wonder if it was inspired by a charming film called Cosmic Zoom, made the National Film Board of Canada back in 1968. It's a similar concept, though the soundtrack is just music. Worth a look:
http://www.nfb.ca/film/cosmic_zoom/
(Sorry not to make that a live link--the Comments section doesn't seem to provide for that.)

[Ann]

Hi Mysti!
Some amount of panic can provide momentum, so it's not all bad... but when that "deer in the headlights" type of panic crashes down, just like those poor deer, it's hard to move left, right, or leap out of the way! :-)

[Doris Gardner-McCraw]

Wonderful post. I usually use 'is it going to matter two weeks from now' which is not a long period of time. Your perspective makes more sense. Thank you. Now back to that writing.

[Ann]

Hi Margaret!
I checked out Cosmic Zoom, and yes, you're right, they seem to be related in more ways than one related. Love the music on Zoom, btw.

[Ann]

Hi Doris!
I say whatever time period works for you, works. :-) Two weeks makes sense for some things, for certain. Other challenges need a loooong perspective for me to overcome the panic.
Now, as you say, back to writing. Thanks for dropping by! :-)

[Susan C Shea]

I don't panic. I started as a journalist and got way too comfortable with fast-approaching hard deadlines. They became almost necessary for me to concentrate. That's not to say I'm satisfied with my writing, or smug. I can get pretty discouraged, especially when I read excellent crime fiction and wonder if I'll ever be half as accomplished. But that way lies craziness, so I eat chocolate and get on with it.