What a great thought: creativity as hypnosis, creativity as meditation.

Perhaps that is why we can be so physically effected by writing. When we are lulled into a trance, like with good music, and then all of a sudden there is a loud cymbal crash, or plot twist, we are thrown out of our comfort zone and shocked into a new plane of thought or emotion.

Thanks for the wonderful, inspiring, thought!

Great post. Thanks for sharing your ideas. Yes, some writers have the power to physically affect you. As a reader, writer can move you to tears, make you angry, arouse emotions.

I remember reading Agatha Christie’s “Curtain” as a little kid. My pet detective, Hercule Poirot’s last case (if memory serves), dies in the last chapter. Since Poirot was my hero, that book drove me to tears. I found myself sobbing and I had to leave the library to calm down. Writers can get you to identify and relate to their cast of characters in such a way that the characters almost become members of your family or at least your friends.

I was finally able to re-enter the library only after an hour or two. Such is the power of some writers who are able to cast a spell over you. Creativity can have such a hypnotic effect.

Really glad you enjoyed the article, and that you found it inspiring! Thanks for commenting too :)

I completely agree that you should write the story YOU want, the way YOU want to. Don’t apologise, and don’t self-censor (unless it improves the story in a way that you would approve of if you were reading it, that is).

It’s hard not to think about how our audiences will react to our stories, and to somewhat tailor our writing to fit and to not offend. But we should not be afraid to break the rules or to write bravely, honestly and boldly.

Lamentably, I have changed dialogue in my stories so I don’t offend certain readers. For example: cursing. So no guts there. No glory either, eh.

Though, the one time I broke one rule–writing character’s dialogue in dialect–I felt story worked very well; he was real and exciting, and readers in my writing group loved him.

Guts. Gotta have them as I write the words AND should be evident in the story.

Thank you.

Thanks for commenting!