Saturday, May 1, 2010

Z is for the Zone

Blogger ate my first Z post. Ghaa! Like it wasn't hard enough to write a post about Z! I didn't even know that could happen... Blogger is always so nice abut saving my drafts for me automatically, I never thought a post could just disappear. Oh well, live and learn!

As a runner, I chase the elusive runner's high, or the zone. This is when running feels GREAT and you never want to stop.

The runner's high happens once in a blue moon, oftentimes, but the feeling of euphoria is great when it happens. It also seems uncontrollable -- there are no set predictors for the runner's high, although a good night's sleep and proper hydration seem like musts to even have a chance at it!

I think the writing zone is the same way. There are things you can do to prepare and give yourself a better chance of falling into a zone where you write and write and write effortlessly, but there's no guarantee it's going to happen. Some days, you're just working away, forcing your legs to go as you run up and down hills, and some days you're just working away, forcing your fingers to move over the keyboard and your brain to give you something, anything.

But luckily, no one runs for the runner's high. It's just a nice thing that happens sometimes. And no one writes for the zone.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I used to run in cross country and I always got the best high and adrenaline pumping in my blood!!

Blogger can drive me so crazy sometimes, they deleted one of my posts once and I was upset!!! There were comments and everything, LOL

Anne Gallagher said...

I LUVVVV the Zone! The writing zone that is. I can't run to save my soul. When I hit the writing zone I forget to do everything else, showering, feeding the child, cleaning. It's great.

Old Kitty said...

Hi

Well done with finishing the A-Z post!

Sorry blogger ate your first Z post - it's a wild and unpredictable creature is blogger.

I've never thought of the concept of "the Zone"! Now it all makes sense!

Thank you

Here's hoping you experience lots of these unexpected phenomena!

Take care
x

Summer Frey said...

The writing zone is quite the elusive creature, but probably easier to capture than the running zone. At least, for me. I generally have to have every single thing done that could possible distract me, get some good music, light my lucky candles, and then just go. Sometimes the zone appears...and sometimes I check my email every 10 minutes. :-)

Cynthia Reese said...

Oh, yeah. It is a GIVEN that if I ever hit The Zone, The Husband will come in and ask what's for supper. I love him, but sheesh!

Neurotic Workaholic said...

good job doing the A-Z post! I wish I could be a runner, but I'm not very good at it. I was on track in junior high and came in last almost every time, except for once when I came in second to last.
But you're right about the writing zone. I think if we were all just to wait until we got in the zone that it would take us a lot longer to finish what we're writing.

Andrea Coulter said...

The zone happens more often for me while editing than rough-drafting. I think because things are starting to come together then and I can see real progress besides a (sometimes very slow-to-grow) word count.

Congrats on finishing the A-Z post!

Shelley Sly said...

Oh yes. I got in the writing zone this weekend -- Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday. It was an amazing feeling. But it's Monday, so back to work. :-\ I guess having non-writing-zone moments makes the zone moments that much more special, though.

Dawn Simon said...

Nice analogy! Since I only go two miles each run, I didn't know the runner's high existed. Hee! But I totally get the writing zone. I LOVE IT whenever it happens!