There is often a strange synchronicity that can happen when you are writing a book - 'relevant' things occur and minor coincidences seem to crop up all the time in the world around you. I did a workshop recently with John MacKenna and he talked about this very thing - how elements from your life appear in your books and vice versa, as you are writing them.
I had one of those synchronised moments today and it made me extraordinarily happy. One of the main characters in my NIP collects glass paperweights of a particular brand. These things are stunning works of art that can cost up to €500. The narrator in the novel says that her favourite of these paperweights is a blue and white egg-shaped one "that seems to suspend the sea in its core".
This afternoon I dropped four big bags of spring cleaned clothes and toys to my favourite charity shop. I had a quick goo around to see if there was anything nice when I spied a paperweight in the window. Yes, you know it, it was a blue and white egg-shaped one that seemed to "suspend the sea in its core". For €3. I'm not saying it's an example of the posh brand collected by my character but, God, it was weird and wonderful to find it. It somehow makes me feel that I am on the right path with the novel; it's like an injection of confidence, or a small 'yes' from the universe.
The paperweight sits on my desk in front of me, making me extraordinarilyhappy still :)
30 comments:
That is so cool in so many ways!
Love when this happens. Good to be reminded.
Love when this happens. Good to be reminded.
Wow & double Wow, that is amazing!! I am not suprised finding this little gem has given you a boost. It is most definitely a sign from the universe that your new novel is brilliant :)
Ooohh that's wonderfully exciting and good spooky all rolled into one.. I have a whole pile of questions I'm dying to ask you now.
Your charity shops in the west are just deadly and far superior to my local ones.
I was discussing precisely this sort of synchronicity with Tania Hershman just last week - astonishing, isn't it? The paperweight is a beauty. My grandmother collected them and I loved seeing them along her shelves when I visited.
TFE - it is. What's even spookier is that I had a premonition I would find one.
Jills - thanks for stopping by. Me too!
Úna - not sure about brillinat but I am defo enjoying piecing the book together, bit by bit.
Kar - the trick with charity shops is to visit often. I go once a week to this one, which is not very often but I am liable to buy too much if I go too much. It's a gem of a place though!
Sarah - I would love to have been chewing the fat with you and Tania. Maybe sometime soon all 3 of us will be in the same place. T is so lovely.
I think the universe along with the rest of us is dying for your next novel. And who can argue with the universe. I can't wait to see it babe, and I hope it and a stream of other portents and positives buoy you in your task.
FD - thank you for your lovely comment. Mwah. N x
This constantly happens to me - it is great Karma and proves your energy is being channeled in the right direction. Well, maybe not PROVES...but a distinct possibility. Lovely post.
It's like 3D deja vous - very cool - and definitely a good omen!
How brilliant is that! And what a gorgeous thing, enjoy.
There's also a poem sequence in there somewhere.
Gorge!!!
Any more tidbits about the book? ;) G'wan ...
Ev - I love to hear that it happens to other writers. It's such an affirming thing.
Vanessa - ta, girl!
Pat - maybe. If paperweights enter the world of my obsessions, they won't escape being written about.
Eimear - I think I've said enough. I don't want to reveal too much. Self protection (for lots of reasons), chiefly, I guess, I'm only one third of the way through so there's still that 'Will I? Won't I?' feeling about finishing it. Managing to finish it. You know what I mean :) N x x x x
Rachel - originally put, as always! N x
Oh, how lovely! I love these freaky moments, especially the premonition and then the actual event. I had this with a copy of Robert McKee's "Story" - I really wanted it, and walked into a charity shop, there it was. Well, it was a charity shop in Hampstead, London, so perhaps a higher number of aspiring screenwriters! Anyway, not quite as freaky as your experience, may it bring you much luck.
I love it, Tania. It's like we WILL these things into our lives. :)
Those moments always remind me of the book "illusions" when the prophet is saying you can draw things too you, so he envisions a blue feather and gets a milk carton with a blue feather logo.
I know my book has a sea turtle and they started popping into my life everywhere. Were they always that abundant and I just wasn't looking? I don't think so.
Echo - that's amazing. Let's face it, sea turtles are NOT everyday creatures. Thanks for sharing. N x
Excellent post, and just what I've been thinking about. The name of a character (Lila Lee) appeared on an old Valentino poster just after sending in the manuscript. Just when you think you're being original, the universe has other ideas ...
Kate - what a great name for the character. That was the universe giving you the thumbs up! N x
I so love this. Writing is all about re-imagining things or re-membering, it's as if you conjured up this thing by writing, but of course it was the kind of object very fascinating to you in the first place, the kind of thing you would be on the lookout for perhaps, like for sale signs when you want to move. By our attention we impute symbolism and significance into objects and by the same token the beauty of objects and people sometimes make them emanate significance. But what is special here is that is was such a beautiful and special thing you described and it arrived in your life, just as you imagined it.
Alison - very well said. I do believe in the power of symbols and a little in luck/amulets etc. You are right, it's our attention to them that matters.
Thanks!
Kate Horgan has a great piece on synchronicity at the Anti- Room.
http://theantiroom.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/guest-post-coming-home/
My Gran used to call lovely co-incidences like that "God winks" xx
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