I don’t write to be famous, I don’t write to be known, I write because I am and I want to be read. How sad to fill a room with paintings no one sees or play music no one hears. Writing is talking without sound, singing without score and dancing without movement and yet, it is all of them. It is a solitary art conjured from thought and expressed by the need to communicate.

HEAD SLAPS, SPEED BUMPS and LIGHTBULBS, one woman's WTF, oops and ah-ha moments of life.

They were published once, and as every writer knows, once is not enough.




Sunday, November 3, 2013

Writer's God-wink



For some time now I’ve been experiencing something quite strange regarding my writing. It’s odd actually and if anyone has experienced the same thing please let me know...I am not the only one.

First of all let me set this up:
Most of my writing is done in my kitchen. It’s a great room, very comfortable and for me the perfect place to write even if something is going on elsewhere in the house. Often the TV is on in the living room, either my husband is watching and dozing or he’s gone up to bed and left it on because he knows I want him to leave it on; the flat-screen is my sound-track. And, if no one is home, I’ll have it on because we have a large house which is a bit remote. To me total quiet can be unnerving at times and a comfort at others. Usually I need something to distract me from myself. Sometimes I’ll play music (new age) but when I do, the music is usually so beautiful, I find it intrusive. So here I sit, thinking, typing and writing with the subliminal sounds of the news, commercials, movies or whatever and ‘bing’ it happens.

I will be typing a word and exactly at the same time I will hear the same word spoken on the TV.

Just a few minutes ago I posted a short message on another writer’s blog and typed the word ‘fresh’. At exactly the same instant I heard the word ‘fresh’ come from the TV. It was a supermarket commercial advertising produce. This latest instance is why I am writing about this now.

Over the last few years these word-matches have happened so many times that I have replayed what I heard on the DVR, thinking that I imagined it, and damn, what I wrote is what was on the TV at the same time.

When this started I thought it was just weird but after dozens of instances I figured perhaps I was hearing the word first and then writing it. But, that was never the case. The words aren’t common either. Who uses the word ‘fresh’ often? Not me but there it was, me and TV at the same time.

More than a few times a, me and TV two and three word, phrase has popped up. When that happens I’m usually halted and overcome by the phrase-match. It’s just plain strange, cue Twilight Zone theme song.  A bit more rare, those instances really boggle my mind and always make me think something else is going on.

Let me add here that when this happens it snaps me to attention, makes me think I’m on the right track. I call them my writer’s God-winks. I don’t believe in coincidence, I believe in the message.

So I’m, asking, has this ever happened to you?
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4 comments:

  1. Cooking On A BudgetNovember 4, 2013 at 7:34 AM

    This is your editor Carolynn. Phrase, phrase. It may not phase you but. Seriously dear no. But then nothing extra ordinary happens to me. You are different. From what I know most of your life has been about fate, circumstances and God giving you ah-ha moments leading you to the next great thing. In speech I've had that happen with another person, but never I don't think in writing. Although, come to think of it I will be thinking very hard about a recipe I want to develop and I then have actually seen a version of it on a cooking show, a commercial to know my idea is not unique. I used to get all pissed off that it wasn't original from my own mind, but now I look at it as a sign that my idea would work. Doesn't fall in quite the same category as what you ask but it's the best response I've got.

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    1. Carolynnwith2NsNovember 4, 2013 at 11:21 AM

      By golly, by gee, I forgot my R's...twice. What significance may I attribute to such an oversight? None whatsoever. My synapses must have been R free.
      Thanks for the heads up.

      Regarding your recipe, it's a sign my dear, follow that sucker all the way to Adams.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 4, 2013 at 10:44 PM

    No, it has never happened. I wish it would. But the TV is on the other side of the house from my writing room, so I'd say it's unlikely.

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    Replies
    1. Carolynnwith2NsNovember 5, 2013 at 8:04 AM

      Well Averil...considering what you write someone would have to be watching some pretty racy stuff ;)

      Delete

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