Tumblewords

Fractals Photos Poetry Prose Watercolor

Friday, March 07, 2008

Writers Island - Rising


This week’s, and the twenty-fifth, Writer’s Island prompt is: “Rising”. Come along and play!



Bubbling Up

Questioning...

I never read prompt posts before I write my own.

After writing and posting, I read and see that some of the same words and thoughts have bubbled up, and I wonder. Where do the prompts come from? Do they fall from the same bucket of words that rise from each of our minds?

Comments, too. I read comments only after I write my own, yet many times the same statements are repeated. How odd is that?

How often do you read blogged prompts only to find you've written a similar post? Several times, I've searched for a specific and unusual word and found someone else used it as well.

Recently, I posted to my 2000 Mythsteries and Other Pithy Shorts blog and the next Newsweek cover carried the very unusual phrase I'd coined.

It feels like strong synchronicity or outright woohoo voodoo.

Has this happened to you? Do you read first, write later or vice versa?

If similar words wait on the surface, why are Powerball numbers so difficult to dig up?




25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do the same! The odd thing, is I usually have something written that follows the prompt.

I guess that's because I write a million a day.

Jeques said...

I have somewhere, from a book maybe or a magazine article stating that what we wrote, or some of our thoughts were written or somebody else have thought of it already. So it is better we write it as soon as we think of it. What makes our own writings original is the heart we put into it. We may experience similar things, but the way we feel is always original at an instance.

I wish you well.

~ Jeques

Gemma Wiseman said...

Adored this post because so many times I have a similar initial thought as others (as you say voodoo)but usually manage to trundle along with it in quite a new direction.

Perhaps there reaslly is a collective conscience that only needs an impulse and we all gather from the same casuldron or crucible as the case may be.

Interesting post.

Smiles and Light

Anonymous said...

Yes, this happened with us once we both used sinuous or something lke that and it has happened a lot with me with other people....the odds are against it, but it does happen, synchronicity.......like you, I don't like reading others' stuff till I've posted as I find it blocks me, though I always read others' comments first.
Who knows? Nice post, as always, and now I'm off to check out your other blog :)

Anonymous said...

I usually write first so as to ensure my thoughts are totally mine, but I do often have a quick sneaky read of others before I press go!

anthonynorth said...

This happens so often. Jung knew what he was doing when he coined synchronicity.

paisley said...

i am so glad you posted that link... i had no idea that blog existed... and i so love it i have added it to my reader...

Constance Brewer said...

Maybe, deep down, we're all psychically connected. Except on Powerball numbers, as you point out. :)

Sherri B. said...

I try to write first before reading what others have to say...otherwise, my brain gets cluttered up with the other opinions and I lose my train of thought! It is interesting how so many people are always on the same wavelength, though... :~)

Anonymous said...

My interpretation of prompts is usually very different from everyone else's (is that a bad thing?) but my comments usually match those of several other people. Still laughing at the Powerball numbers. I don't think Lady Luck is psychically linked with any of us!

Naturegirl said...

Always write first and post my comments and perhaps if time allows me I will read what others commented. Postings always my own and interesting when you visit others particularly kindred spirits their thoughts may be of similar content!On the same day!!
Now I'll take time to read what others had to say here. :)NG

Robin said...

I don't read the posts until I've written mine, or at least until I'm confident of my direction if I don't have time to write immediately, but I do tend to look at the comments as I'm scrolling down.

Love the powerball crack.

Q said...

Dear Sue,
Humm...I will look into the idea of using a prompt to stir the imagination. I can see how this could be fun. How a series of words could prime the pump. My word well is deep. It often takes some effort to lower the bucket. Thank you for the invitation.
I am prompted by birds.
Perhaps I would enjoy expanding my writing, lowering the bucket more often. Maybe come spring I will go gather some words in the woods.
I find you to be very inspiring.
Thank you.
Sherry

Marie said...

I read and then comment what I'm thinking in the moment...what strikes me first? What strikes me most? Then I read and find several others who have been inspired by the same phrase.

I also find that in my own posts that people comment on the very phrases I like about my posts, which also means it deserved to be written. I do believe we all share a consciousness...and that if we are to rise above, collectively we keep rising our thoughts. GREAT POST!

Crafty Green Poet said...

Its the same for me too. I never read anyone else's post before writing mine. Comments I do sometimes read before commenting myself. But yes there's always a lot of synchronicity.

Anonymous said...

I never read anyone else's before I write mine. I don't want to be influenced. I prefr to be different. Same with comments too!

get going

Jo Anne O. said...

Hi Sue...

Personally I do not read the other posts, before I write my own. I want the creativity to flow from me without subconscience influences! I also skim the comments just to make sure I don't sound repetitive. I always like to leave a comment with depth and not just say "great job" or "i like the color", etc. Something meaty for the person to hold onto or digest...!

Rambler said...

Sue, I do tend to not see the posts on the prompt until I write one.. but many a times as you said, I have found very similar views..really strange thing

little wing writer said...

another interesting fractal... the colors have a great connection to your post.. funny yes and no i'd say... sometimes if i read others comments/post they cloud my own thoughts... and if im running on empty they fill my head with countless creative thoughts i would have never ventured towards... and at times when another is on the same path it is a wonder to experience.. a true connection in some way through the faceless wires of blogging

rebecca said...

when i write, i write first and then read others; when i comment, i mostly comment first but sometimes if there are many comments, i like to read them so i do not repeat something someone already has said...i always try to offer something new whenever i can.

synchronicity is a funny thing...my husband once read a book on it and said the author stated that when two people have a deep connection, one person thinks of the other like "i need to call X," then, no sooner has your thought ended than the phone rings and X is calling. when he said that, i never forgot and right afterwards i noticed that whenever i thought of my daughter or husband, bang - they'd call! yes, synchronicity is a very, weird unexplained thing......

Odessa said...

i hear you. this is exactly why i often scan other people's comments first because i don't want to repeat what they just said.

(oh, i just realized that rebecca said exactly the same thing :P)

ren powell said...

yep, write first, read last.

I just wrote about ditching poems because I just know someone else must have written that. I am too afraid to look it up.

Lucy said...

excellent question! I go either way! well not literally. but.. sometimes I am inspired by what others have written, or something they say may jolt my totally different idea, sometimes I write first if I don't have time to visit buddies and write.
But I think we ARE all somewhat connected :))

Anonymous said...

I'd like to stay uninfluenced too so I never read others posts before I've posted mine ... still it's remarkable how similar the outcome is sometimes

Very good post!!!

Cassiopeia Rises said...

Sue, we have all come across just this same thing. I say once more predestination is a powerful force. Be sure someone(or if you will something)knows what we are going to say and do before we do. ;-)

-Melanie-bd