When I’m at the computer, creating or finessing a writing project, and my focus and concentration are fully engaged to the point that the rest of the world fades into the background, to me, that is when I feel like I’m in the writing bubble. It’s a pretty amazing place to hang out!
Some might call it being in the zone. Others might refer to it as being in the flow. Either way, I think that as creatives, we’re all doing the same thing. We’re getting into a rhythm with our creativity, where mind and spirit get immersed in the universe we’re creating.
When I am typing out the proceedings while the characters play out each scene, it’s a little weird how invested I become, to the point where the following happens:
Time seems to disappear. I could be in the bubble, typing away for what feels like thirty minutes, only to step away from the computer, look at the clock, and see that two hours have passed.
When I work on the fine details of the story, I can stay in that state for a sustained period and sometimes forget about eating, hydrating, or going to the bathroom. But the moment I step out of the bubble, those basic needs kick in rather quickly!
During that deeply focused time, I usually listen to instrumental songs through my noise-cancelling headphones. There have been times when the playlists finished playing, leaving me in silence, and I didn’t notice until a while later.
Another strange part of being in the bubble is that when I am in the creative zone, I’m in a completely different headspace, not really thinking about myself. When that happens, anything that might be causing me fear, apprehension, or uncertainty fades away as well.
There have been times when I wondered if, to tell a story, it is truly necessary to be so deeply in the bubble. I know I can still write well when I haven’t completely disconnected from the world, but when I am seeking the deepest, most profound, or most transformational aspects of my characters, situations, and conflict, the bubble is a big help.
To me, deep concentration is needed to make sure the words are just right, the flow is logical, characters stay consistent throughout a story, and the complex, nuanced range of human emotion is depicted. To tick these boxes, it takes focus, quiet time, and minimal distractions… at least for me, it does.
When I finish a writing session, upon reviewing what I produced, it sometimes amazes me and has me wondering, “Where the heck did that come from?” It’s not that I don’t remember writing it, but when I am focused on the granular details of a story, when I step away and see how those incremental steps came together, it’s a rush when I realize that this came from my creativity.
In seeing what I accomplished, I often feel a sense of euphoria, seeing characters with human traits, emotions, and complexity that even I enjoy reading afterward, sometimes to the point of cracking a smile.
Even if what I have produced isn’t ready for public viewing, I still step away from the writing bubble feeling calm, relaxed, balanced, grounded, like everything is right with the world. Maybe this is why I also tend to sleep better after I’ve had a really great writing experience.
The time I spend in the writing bubble lends itself to a feeling of completeness, and that I am doing what I was meant to do. For these reasons, I think it’s easy to see why I enjoy writing so much and why I want to keep at it as much as I can.
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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André
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