Comments on: When It’s Good… http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/ What's hip, what's now, what's tomorrow in the romance genre world. Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:26:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Alan Morgan http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9228 Alan Morgan Tue, 11 Apr 2006 10:15:17 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9228 [...] I read an article over at Romancing the Blog by Jo Leigh a bit ago that stuck in my mind: When It’s Good…. The part that stood out the most was this: For me, it comes down to this - sometimes what’s happening on the page is so fabulous, so incredible, so magical, that my heart rate accelerates, my smile is so big it hurts, the clouds part, the angels sing…yeah, like that. It’s a coming together of plot, character, language, pacing, and tempo that transcends. It’s the writer’s harmonic convergence, and there’s no way to predict it or force it. The magic happens when it will. I might happen once in a book, or once in ten books, but it’s such a powerful rush that I’m willing to go through ten books on the chance there’ll be the scene that soars. [...] [...] I read an article over at Romancing the Blog by Jo Leigh a bit ago that stuck in my mind: When It’s Good…. The part that stood out the most was this: For me, it comes down to this – sometimes what’s happening on the page is so fabulous, so incredible, so magical, that my heart rate accelerates, my smile is so big it hurts, the clouds part, the angels sing…yeah, like that. It’s a coming together of plot, character, language, pacing, and tempo that transcends. It’s the writer’s harmonic convergence, and there’s no way to predict it or force it. The magic happens when it will. I might happen once in a book, or once in ten books, but it’s such a powerful rush that I’m willing to go through ten books on the chance there’ll be the scene that soars. [...]

]]> By: Beth http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9062 Beth Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:12:43 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9062 >Okay, then. I’m gathering the consensus is that this is something very real for most (all?) fiction writers. How fascinating and wonderful. But why then do I rarely hear about it?> Because that is the nature of magic. Beth >Okay, then. I’m gathering the consensus is that this is something very real for most (all?) fiction writers. How fascinating and wonderful. But why then do I rarely hear about it?>

Because that is the nature of magic.

Beth

]]> By: Kaitlin http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9053 Kaitlin Fri, 31 Mar 2006 02:34:35 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9053 Ah, that one magical moment. Too bad it doesn't show up anywhere near enough as it should. *sigh* I had it happen to me with a story I'd been working on for weeks. Nothing seemed to be working until one night in the wee hours. It just hit me and I ended up writing for six hours. Needless to say, my hands were pretty much useless the next day. LOL!!!! Ah, that one magical moment. Too bad it doesn’t show up anywhere near enough as it should. *sigh*

I had it happen to me with a story I’d been working on for weeks. Nothing seemed to be working until one night in the wee hours. It just hit me and I ended up writing for six hours.

Needless to say, my hands were pretty much useless the next day. LOL!!!!

]]> By: Jordan Summers http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9051 Jordan Summers Thu, 30 Mar 2006 21:51:52 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9051 I have had that wonderful feeling with three of the books that I've written. It's almost as if the book is writing itself. Doesn't happen often...or as often as I'd like, but when it does it's magic. :grin: I have had that wonderful feeling with three of the books that I’ve written. It’s almost as if the book is writing itself. Doesn’t happen often…or as often as I’d like, but when it does it’s magic. :grin:

]]> By: Diana http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9050 Diana Thu, 30 Mar 2006 21:08:22 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9050 I don't think you've been talking to the right people, then, Jo! As I bang my head against the keyboard in despair, remembering hte happy times that were the ease of my last book, my boyfriend calmly pats me on the head and says, "You didn't think they'd ALL be that easy, did you?" He's lucky my laptop is a blunt object. :razz: I don’t think you’ve been talking to the right people, then, Jo!

As I bang my head against the keyboard in despair, remembering hte happy times that were the ease of my last book, my boyfriend calmly pats me on the head and says, “You didn’t think they’d ALL be that easy, did you?”

He’s lucky my laptop is a blunt object. :razz:

]]> By: Jo Leigh http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9049 Jo Leigh Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:32:21 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9049 Okay, then. I'm gathering the consensus is that this is something very real for most (all?) fiction writers. How fascinating and wonderful. But why then do I rarely hear about it? There isn't even a word for the experience. Magic, harmonic convergence, in-the-zone. All allude to the same experience but they aren't the singular word. I know this happens in other creative endeavors, too, but again, no specific word. hmmm. Okay, then. I’m gathering the consensus is that this is something very real for most (all?) fiction writers. How fascinating and wonderful. But why then do I rarely hear about it? There isn’t even a word for the experience. Magic, harmonic convergence, in-the-zone. All allude to the same experience but they aren’t the singular word. I know this happens in other creative endeavors, too, but again, no specific word. hmmm.

]]> By: Bill Peschel http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9047 Bill Peschel Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:55:59 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9047 Had something like that happen yesterday during the final revision on the book. Woman walks into the office to talk to the accountant, as usual, the accountant turns around, and he's wearing round, black-rimmed specs. Whoa, I think, where'd that come from? But I like the look and keep it. Then, she goes upstairs to talk to the cartoonist, and he's posing in the mirror and drawing, as usual, only he's wearing shorts and sporting a new perm, and it so <i>suits</i> his character that he's firmly locked in my head. I *know* this guy in a way that I hadn't through the previous drafts. That's the magic working, and as sprog as my witness, I can't tell you how it happened, when it will happen again, or why. I can only tell you that this never happens at my day job. I suppose that's what keeps us slaving away. Had something like that happen yesterday during the final revision on the book. Woman walks into the office to talk to the accountant, as usual, the accountant turns around, and he’s wearing round, black-rimmed specs.

Whoa, I think, where’d that come from? But I like the look and keep it.

Then, she goes upstairs to talk to the cartoonist, and he’s posing in the mirror and drawing, as usual, only he’s wearing shorts and sporting a new perm, and it so suits his character that he’s firmly locked in my head.

I *know* this guy in a way that I hadn’t through the previous drafts.

That’s the magic working, and as sprog as my witness, I can’t tell you how it happened, when it will happen again, or why. I can only tell you that this never happens at my day job.

I suppose that’s what keeps us slaving away.

]]> By: Eve http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9046 Eve Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:02:07 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9046 Do you mean when you're typing and suddenly you stop, look at the clock and realize that a couple of hours have gone by. Not only that, but your hands begin to hurt, something you didn't notice until you stopped because you were in that other world, listening to those other voices, living those other lives. Magic? Yeah, that's a good word for it. Let the white coats come on down, I could probably get a lot of writing done in the psycho ward. Do you mean when you’re typing and suddenly you stop, look at the clock and realize that a couple of hours have gone by. Not only that, but your hands begin to hurt, something you didn’t notice until you stopped because you were in that other world, listening to those other voices, living those other lives. Magic? Yeah, that’s a good word for it. Let the white coats come on down, I could probably get a lot of writing done in the psycho ward.

]]> By: Sara Dennis http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9045 Sara Dennis Thu, 30 Mar 2006 16:57:14 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9045 Oh yes, I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I don't realize it until after I've finished typing, but then there's sort of a silence (yes, in my head. Cue the wagon!) and I got back and read what I just put down and think '... whoa. That was good!' Makes the whole struggle worth while. Oh yes, I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I don’t realize it until after I’ve finished typing, but then there’s sort of a silence (yes, in my head. Cue the wagon!) and I got back and read what I just put down and think ‘… whoa. That was good!’

Makes the whole struggle worth while.

]]> By: Mary Stella http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/03/30/when-its-good/comment-page-1/#comment-9044 Mary Stella Thu, 30 Mar 2006 16:06:40 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=583#comment-9044 For me, it's sort of a magical mist where everything else ceases to exist except the story. Those are the times when the characters and I breathe, act and react together as one and the story flows. Hours go by without my being aware of the passing of time. Oh how I wish that happened every time I sit down to write! For me, it’s sort of a magical mist where everything else ceases to exist except the story. Those are the times when the characters and I breathe, act and react together as one and the story flows. Hours go by without my being aware of the passing of time. Oh how I wish that happened every time I sit down to write!

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