I am pleased to welcome Michael Sussman, author of 'Crashing Eden' to 'The Story Factory Reading Zone'.
Author Bio:
Michael
Sussman is the author of Crashing Eden,
a YA fantasy/paranormal novel, and Otto
Grows Down, a children’s picture book featuring illustrations by Scott
Magoon.
Dr. Sussman
is a clinical psychologist and has also published two books for mental health
professionals. He’s the author of A
Curious Calling: Unconscious Motivations for Practicing Psychotherapy and
the editor of A Perilous Calling: The Hazards of Psychotherapy Practice.
He resides in the Boston area with his son, Ollie.
Writing From Your Unconscious
One
way to approach writing fiction is to let your unconscious mind lead the way.
This
is not to denigrate the conscious mind. It is a critical component of the
writing process, especially once you’ve completed a first draft and must begin
reworking and polishing your material.
But
I have found that when it comes to generating that first draft, it pays to let
your conscious mind take a backseat and allow the subterranean realms of your
mind full sway.
My
favorite quote on this issue is from Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Robert Olen
Butler: “Please get out of the habit of saying that you’ve got an idea for a short story. Art does not
come from ideas. Art does not come from the mind. Art comes from the place
where you dream. Art comes from your unconscious; it comes from the white-hot
center of you.”
So
how do you access your unconscious? For some, this comes naturally. Others,
like me, must coax the muse out of hiding. This is best done, in my experience,
by entering into the twilight state between waking and dreaming. Walking,
jogging, communing with Nature, taking a hot bath, daydreaming, self-hypnosis, and
meditating can all help. So can writing down your dreams or practicing lucid
dreaming.
I often begin
with an image, or even a title, and let my mind play around with it. Many
writers prefer to work from an outline, but I find that too constricting. I
like to let my imagination take flight, trusting that a good story will emerge.
Writing my novel, Crashing Eden, I often
started a new chapter with little or no idea where the story was heading next.
That kept me interested, as if I were the reader!
In the words of
E.L. Doctorow, author of Ragtime and Billy Bathgate: “Writing a novel is like
driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can
make the whole trip that way.”
So, when working on a first draft, try to
let your writing flow, unimpeded by conscious judgment or analysis. You’ll
write a deeper, more genuine story if you allow your unconscious mind to guide
the way.
