I know the mood I intended when I started writing my latest novel attempt. I was reaching for a feeling of wallowing depression that encompasses the life of someone akin to Gilbert Grape (read the book – it’s phenomenal; or watch the movie – Depp and DiCaprio are marvelous). How it translated in the writing group – “Wow! This reads like a comedy how the supporting characters manipulate the main character’s life!” Not exactly a different view, but not exactly the one I had in mind. But when the gang said, “Brilliant!” I decided to trust their collective wisdom and write from that mindset.
It’s “accidental genius”, and it freaks me out a bit. I remember writing a story once about a woman who was a bit daft. One line in the book had her talking about a recipe she’d found in a magazine that was supposedly made by Elizabeth Taylor. The dish tasted like perfume. Honest to God, I never made the connection as I was writing. It was afterward, when the former writing group members pointed it out that I realized the connection between Liz and her new perfume. Oy.
It’s that I can’t control it, to be honest. I’m fine with intended genius, which in my world doesn’t appear all that often (at all). That’s something that’s labored over, thought out completely, and applied with skill and care. But this churned-up stuff that comes off as intended symbolism or framing makes me feel like seeking out a psychic, a psychologist, or an exorcist. Someone needs to explain to me how this happens.
Anyone else experience moments of accidental genius? Does it unsettle you, too? What do you make of something that has a deeper meaning than the one you intended or wrote? And whom should I see – psychic, shrink, or exorcist?
These moments happen often in poetry writing. We talk about it all the time in my writing group and in the poetry course I'm taking from a fab poet & professor. Whether you intend a gem to slip into your work or not, it's there in your subconscious. The brilliant sparks are part of your creative genius no matter how you slice and dice it or what you call it.
Have you tried writing poems? If not, it might be a fine experiment.
I wrote a few poems in my day. Not a bad idea to return to it, Angie. Thanks!
It’s just so weird to have something work out better than you intended. ;))
I, too, find this happens when writing poetry. Wish I had more time for it. Sigh.
I do this all the time. A lot of the time I don’t realize it was done until I go back months later and reread something I thought was crap while writing it. Turns out there was all this awesomeness I didn’t even realize was there. Bottom line: never delete anything; you’re not a good judge of what sucks when you’re in the middle of a project.
I totally know what you mean. I don’t write, but I do design “for a living,” and when your best stuff is accidental, that’s scary because not only can you not control it, but you can’t summon it at will, either. Which, when you “have” to do it “right now” … that becomes a problem.
– Cesia.
http://ceceatitagain.blogspot.com