Creative Writing is not a Linear Process

<h1>Creative Writing is not a Linear Process</h1>Author: <a title="Emily Hanlon" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/emily-hanlon/423.htm">Emily Hanlon</a> Creativity is a subtle and magnificent dance between the rational and the intuitive, between the left and right parts of the brains, between technique and imagination. Both partners in this dance are absolutely necessary and are needed in equal proportion, which means that imagination is not more important than technique and visa versa. If you only live in the imagination, you will never get organized, you will never complete your story. However, if you start from the rational, linear, organizational part of the process, ( ie. Gotta have the perfect opening sentence and first paragraph… better yet, an outline…) you will never fall into the rich, passionate cosmic landscape of the imagination where anything is possible.

However, the main problem I have seen in my twenty-five years of teaching fiction writing is over-dependence on the rational part of the equation. People want to get the story written and get it out. (Whatever that means?) The want to leap frog the process, get the words down on the page and finish the story. This is to symptomatic of the goal oriented society that we live in, a society that is striving upwards toward success instead of embracing the deeper, more powerful and life changing journey of descent that takes us into the creative realm of the true self.

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."

Albert EinsteinAbout the Author: Emily Hanlon is a writing coach, a creativity coach and novelist. As a writing coach, Emily demystifies the writing process with her two pronged approach of teaching technique and unleashing creativity. In addition to private coaching, she offers, workshops, retreats, teleseminars and teleworkshops. Also writing prompts and books. 
 
Her work as a creativity coach is based on her belief that the multifaceted journey of creativity is not limited to the arts, but nurtures life at its most profound depths. The creative journey is a template for leading a more creatively fulfilling, aware and meaningful life. Emily offers two Mentoring Programs: Creativity as A Wellspring of Life and Writing Your Story, Creating a Tapestry of Your Life: Memoir Writing as a Healing Journey 
 
As a novelist, she had seven works of fiction, including the bestselling novel, Petersburg. And a book on writing, The Art of Fiction Writing or How to Fall Down the Rabbit Hole Without Really Trying.Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/fiction-articles/creative-writing-is-not-a-linear-process-321860.html" title="Creative Writing is not a Linear Process">Creative Writing is not a Linear Process</a>

Creativity is a subtle and magnificent dance between the rational and the intuitive, between the left and right parts of the brains, between technique and imagination. Both partners in this dance are absolutely necessary and are needed in equal proportion, which means that imagination is not more important than technique and visa versa. If you only live in the imagination, you will never get organized, you will never complete your story. However, if you start from the rational, linear, organizational part of the process, ( ie. Gotta have the perfect opening sentence and first paragraph… better yet, an outline…) you will never fall into the rich, passionate cosmic landscape of the imagination where anything is possible.

However, the main problem I have seen in my twenty-five years of teaching fiction writing is over-dependence on the rational part of the equation. People want to get the story written and get it out. (Whatever that means?) The want to leap frog the process, get the words down on the page and finish the story. This is to symptomatic of the goal oriented society that we live in, a society that is striving upwards toward success instead of embracing the deeper, more powerful and life changing journey of descent that takes us into the creative realm of the true self.

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."

Albert Einstein

Emily Hanlon is a writing coach, a creativity coach and novelist. As a writing coach, Emily demystifies the writing process with her two pronged approach of teaching technique and unleashing creativity. In addition to private coaching, she offers, workshops, retreats, teleseminars and teleworkshops. Also writing prompts and books.

Her work as a creativity coach is based on her belief that the multifaceted journey of creativity is not limited to the arts, but nurtures life at its most profound depths. The creative journey is a template for leading a more creatively fulfilling, aware and meaningful life. Emily offers two Mentoring Programs: Creativity as A Wellspring of Life and Writing Your Story, Creating a Tapestry of Your Life: Memoir Writing as a Healing Journey

As a novelist, she had seven works of fiction, including the bestselling novel, Petersburg. And a book on writing, The Art of Fiction Writing or How to Fall Down the Rabbit Hole Without Really Trying.

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Article Tags: Writing, Creativity, Fiction Writing, Writing Coach, Creative Process

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