“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”
[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]
Imagination is a fascinating phenomenon. With it the writer’s mind creates people who don’t exist, places that have never been, events that didn’t happen, and somehow combines them to create a world that readers accept as real.
Indulging in mental wool gathering [...]
Archive for March, 2009
Imagination at Work
Posted in Writing, tagged Fiction, Imagination, Writing on March 30, 2009 | 5 Comments »
Where Does the Mind Go?
Posted in Time, Writing, tagged Daydreams, Plotting, Writing on March 23, 2009 | 5 Comments »
My brain does its “musings and mental meanderings” at the most unexpected times. Yesterday we were driving north from Vancouver en route to visit family in the Okanagan. Mesmerized by a monotonous landscape of brown rolling hills splashed with old snow my eyes slid into “unseeing” mode. I wasn’t asleep and yet somehow I passed [...]
Today’s Musings
Posted in Computers, Environment, Food, Spring, Winter, Writing, tagged Chocolate, Computers, Spring, Winter on March 19, 2009 | 2 Comments »
MUSINGS – 1
Rain slashes across the sky obliterating everything but a vague view of the nearby trees. Am I complaining? Definitely not! Every time I peer out the window I can tell there is less snow on the ground. I’ll be happy if the rain continues until the last vestige of snow disappears. I’m hoping [...]
A Green Moment in Time
Posted in Religion, St. Patrick's Day, Time, tagged Chicago River, Green, Irish, Shamrocks, St. Patrick's Day on March 17, 2009 | 3 Comments »
‘Tis St. Patrick’s Day and I admit to wearing green. I could just as appropriately have chosen blue, mind you, as blue was the colour associated with Ireland until the mid-1700s. And non-Catholics might well choose orange. So why does green appear everywhere today?
Legend has it that St. Patrick chose a shamrock to help explain [...]
Jellybean Philosophy
Posted in Philosophy, Uncategorized, tagged Jellybeans, Priorities, Stress, The Confidence Guy on March 11, 2009 | 4 Comments »
When the going gets tough, the tough go for jellybeans — or, in this case, the Confidence Guy goes for them. Remembering what’s important puts daily stresses into perspective for him. I think maybe I’ll go buy some jellybeans. Sounds like they’re good reminders to have on hand. Besides, I love jellybeans!
On getting no pleasure from writing
Posted in Writing, tagged Colm Toibin, Hari Kunzru, Writing for Money, Writing for Pleasure on March 9, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Having recently finished Delaney’s novel, “Ireland”, I was exploring other Irish writing and came across an interview with award-winning author, Colm Toibin. I was surprised to learn that despite his success Toibin doesn’t enjoy writing, and he’s not alone. Samuel Johnson, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, and Dostoevsky are all quoted as admitting they wrote their [...]
A Notable Quotable
Posted in Philosophy, Writing, tagged Faith, Journey Toward Stillness, Possibility, Writing on March 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I happened onto a blog called “Journey Toward Stillness” today and found the following quotation that appears on the back of T-shirts at the blogger’s school. It was directed towards students and staff, but is so very appropriate for writers, too.
“The only thing that stands between a person and what they want in life is [...]
“Dog Speak” Says More Than You Might Imagine
Posted in Pets, Writing, tagged Communication, Dogs, Writing on March 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
My dog rarely makes a sound. He talks with his ears. If he needs to go outside he stands in the hallway and just looks at us… and looks… and looks. And eventually I notice the angle of his ears. There’s something about the way he holds them that suggests anxiety. When I ask if [...]
Writers Have Their Own Version of Time
Posted in Time, Writing, tagged Daylight Saving Time, Writers on March 7, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Here I am, sprawled across the couch, ignoring all the obvious chores in favour of writing. Writers do that regularly. After all, we have to capture the ideas when they present themselves. If we press the mental “pause” button long enough to put creativity on hold in favour of extracting dog hairs from under the [...]
“… her coat is silver grey”
Posted in Environment, Family, Seasons, Spring, Winter, tagged Catkins, Pussywillows, Spring, Winter on March 3, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Stroking a pussywillow recalls for me the feel of a satin blanket binding, the whisper softness of a newborn’s breath or the caress of velvet on bare skin.
Silken catkins are like tiny grey kittens emerging into the chill of late winter to bring the promise of springtime. My DH brought me a pussywillow bouquet today [...]
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