Saturday, June 29, 2019

When The Silence Speaks


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HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  So. Happy Saturday. Do you have ten minutes? No matter how you answered--yes, you do.
How many times have you heard someone ask: Where do you get our ideas? How many times have you seen authors wince, then make up some answer?
But I think that’s the most fascinating question ever. Where did Narnia come from? The sonnets? Kinsey Millhone?
The brilliant Randall Silvis has some thoughts about it. And that’s why you will be delighted you spent your ten minutes. And there’ll be more minutes to come as a result.
 
The Silence That Speaks

I don’t particularly like it when I am referred to as a crime writer or a mystery writer. Those words put the emphasis on a novel’s plot, and I don’t write plot-dominant stories. I write stories about the relationships between people, some of whom might be engaged in actions that include murder or another crime.
  Crimes are a great way to put a character under maximum pressure. Under pressure, our true natures are revealed. And only through an examination of our true natures can we (and our fictional characters) grow and evolve. An unexamined life is not worth living or worth reading.
 My goal with the Ryan DeMarco Mystery series is to follow DeMarco on his own spiritual journey through a course of demanding events—whether murder investigations, romantic and other relationships, betrayals, losses, even brushes with death—that will force him to assess not only his true nature but the true nature of reality. He is at an age when human beings do that kind of thing.
 Carl Jung called it the stage of Spirit, the fourth and final stage of life. It is when we realize that our lifetimes of accomplishments and our possessions are not all we are. We are more than that. In this stage we become the observers of our lives and learn to view life from a different perspective. These are the years of wisdom—if, indeed, we are equipped to receive it.
          DeMarco is an inherently compassionate person, but for a long time his thoughts were filled with the noise of anger and guilt that interferes with spiritual development. One of the most important things a person can do for him/herself is to court and cultivate the silence that speaks. In the novel series, with the help of Thomas Huston, Jayme, and his love of nature, DeMarco is learning to listen to that silence. This is also an essential facility for any writer who hopes to produce more than merely escapist stories.
So what is the silence that speaks? None of the world’s scientific geniuses has ever been able to explain how brain chemicals and electrical impulses produce ideas. That’s because they don’t. We know that the physical brain is somehow associated with consciousness—the mind and its infinite creativity—probably as a receiver of some kind, a filter and storage compartment.
 But we also know, from tens of thousands of documented and corroborated personal experiences, that an individual’s consciousness can continue to function (often even more keenly) when the brain is clinically dead. So it is clear that the physical brain does not create ideas or any other facet of what we call consciousness. They originate from the silence that speaks, that vast reservoir of consciousness and creativity that permeates everything.  
Einstein claimed that imagination is the highest human faculty. Max Planck, the father of quantum physics, was among the first contemporary scientists to understand that mind, i.e consciousness, precedes and in fact creates the illusion of matter. J.K. Rowling, during a train ride, experienced a spontaneous flood of imagination that gave birth to the entire Harry Potter opus, the highest-selling fiction series in history. Spiritual masters from the beginning of time have been inspired and guided by knowledge that seemed to come to them out of the silence.
My best ideas have always come to me unbidden during some non-thinking activity, such as meditating, dreaming, washing the dishes, mowing the yard, walking in the woods, taking a shower, or riding my motorcycle. At such times, brain activity is low, especially in the neo-cortex, the reasoning, analyzing part of the brain.
Several studies show that low activity in that region of the brain is associated with heightened states of consciousness. I belief that the state of non-thought Taoists call wu-wei allows us to “hear” inspiring whispers that have no relationship to personal experiences. This is the magic of creative thought. It often possesses some deeper, indescribable quality that will not yield to analysis or logic.
In The Book of Embraces, Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano introduced a word for that quality, coined by fisherman along the Colombian coast: sentipensante, the language that speaks the truth, and does so not through thinking, not through analysis and reason, but through feeling. Love, I think, is sentipensante. As is joy. That exultant sense of gratitude and hope bequeathed by a sunrise or a star-filled night. That profound bond between a parent and child that cannot be articulated nor even understood unless one has experienced it.
This is the quality I sense every time the silence speaks. Not just the beauty of cadence and rhythm and image, which I attempt to build into my prose, but the beauty of an inexpressible truth. When Hemingway stated that the job of the writer is to write “one true sentence,” this, I think, was what he meant. From that truth, everything else will follow.
And that’s where DeMarco has landed in Book #3, A Long Way Down. He is learning not to worry so much. Not to feel so guilty about his past or to feel responsible for all of the sadness in the world. And to understand that there is a greater reality of which the physical one is but a fragment.
I can’t wait to see where he ends up in Book #4!
HANK:  So now I will ask you—where  (and when) do you get your ideas?
(and a copy of A Long Way Down to one lucky commenter!)

      --NOW From Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks
Just when you think you’ve reached the bottom... Ryan DeMarco would rather not go home. Not now, maybe not ever. But when his estranged wife attempts suicide, he has no choice but to return to western Pennsylvania, and all the memories that wait for him there. Unfortunately, it’s not only ghosts from the past waiting to greet DeMarco upon his return. An old high school classmate has risen through the ranks to become a county sheriff, and he is desperate for help investigating a series of murders that might tie into a cold case from his and DeMarco’s school days. DeMarco and his new love, Jayme, agree to join the team working on the case. But it’s not easy for DeMarco to be walking the streets of his troubled past, and the deeper he and Jayme dig into the disturbing murders the less likely it is that either one of them will escape the devastation. 

 Randall Silvis is the internationally acclaimed author of eighteen books. His sixteen novels, one story collection and one book of narrative nonfiction have appeared on Best of the Year lists from the New York Times, the Toronto Globe & Mail, SfSite.com, and the International Association of Crime Writers, as well as on several Editor’s and Booksellers’ Pick lists. His work has been hailed as “masterful” by the New York Times Book Review as well as Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Mystery Scene magazine, and others. His new Suspense novel, A Long Way Down, will be published by Sourcebooks/Poisoned Press) in June 2019. 
 Also a prize-winning playwright, produced screenwriter, and prolific essayist, Silvis was the first Pennsylvanian to win the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize, whose final judge was Joyce Carol Oates. Twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize for his short fiction, Silvis was also a two-time Hammett Prize finalist for his crime novels An Occasional Hell and Two Days Gone. His magical realism novel In A Town Called Mundomuerto was named a Top Ten Fantasy Novel of the Year by the editors of SF Site magazine. Two Days Gone and Only the Rain were both Amazon #1 Bestsellers.
    The recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships, a Fulbright Senior Scholar Research Award, and six writing fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for his fiction, drama, and screenwriting, Silvis  was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania for “a sustained record of distinguished literary achievement.” 
A multi-genre writer, Silvis' fiction has been marketed as literary, magic realism, mystery, thriller, and psychological suspense. His creative nonfiction ranges from personal essays to biography, history, and nature writing, and he was a contributing writer of cover and feature stories for the Discovery Channel magazines. Silvis has taught creative writing at the undergraduate and graduate levels for the past thirty years, including stints as the writer-in-residence at Mercyhurst College and the Ohio State University. He co-hosts the podcast The Writer’s Hangout atwww.thewritershangout.com.  


48 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the new book, Randall. I’m looking forward to reading it.

    I have to agree with Randall’s comments . . . the best ideas come when I’m not trying to force them, when I’m relaxed. A bit of quiet time helps, too!

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    1. Agreed! You cannot force yourself to have a good idea… Even though we keep trying.

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  2. Fascinating essay, thanks for visiting JRW! I'm curious about the age of the spirit...how old is your character? And does everyone reach this stage?

    And i completely agree that crime puts characters under pressure in many ways.

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    1. So agree! What a joy to have time this Saturday morning to think about this quietly…

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    2. DeMarco is about to turn 50. I don't recall whether Jung proposes any specific age for the Spirit stage, but I propose that we enter it when our duties as parents have subsided, our professional goals have been reached, and when intimations of mortality become common. Do we all enter this stage? My guess is no, seeing as how I know many people 50 and older who are still stuck in stages 2 and 3. :)

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  3. I'm impressed, and I just now bought the first in the Ryan DeMarco books. Because I like to start at the beginning.

    I'm a reader, not a writer, but I understand the products of silence. Don't most people get ideas this way--thinking of Newton and the apple. What writers can do--or physicists, or mathematicians, or artists of any ilk--is make these ideas available to the rest of us.

    I thank all of you for that.

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    1. And we know when we have a good idea, didn’t we? There is just a little chill that comes with knowing somehow, the idea has emerged.

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  4. Welcome, Randall! I agree that the best ideas do often come when you're not actively trying to find them. For me, that's also usually when I don't have a pen and paper handy!

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    1. Oh my goodness, that is a constant problem! And sometimes even writing it down makes it almost disappear. Sometimes I wish I could just link my mind to the computer, so no “thinking “gets in the way.

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    2. I've lost so many brilliant ideas because I was meditating and reluctant to cut it short--even though the idea had already ended the meditation (and it probably wasn't a very brilliant idea anyway.)

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  5. Randall, I will be rereading this essay--much to think about. Silence is something I actively crave in my life--a habit the (much) younger generation in my home does not seem to understand. Like Ann, I like to start at the beginning, so I will make my acquaintance with DeMarco & Co in the first book. Thanks for dropping by JRW!

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    1. Yes, every moment is filled these days, isn’t it? Especially with our phones, there is never a moment where we’re not doing something.

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  6. Congratulations on your new release!

    I don't force a new plot. The ideas come, usually when I'm weeding, walking the dogs, or pushing a mop across the floor. The same process for fully realized characters.

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  7. If only I could wade out into the ethers and absorb ideas by osmosis. Though my best ones do seem to come to me when I can't possibly write them down. In the shower. While chopping onions. And often when I'm trying to fall asleep or wake up.

    The book sounds fascinating. Love that phrase: walking the streets of his troubled past.

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    1. That Alpha state right before falling asleep… That is such a valuable time. When your brain does not have a filter. Then, somehow, you have to remember what you thought of.

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  8. What an interesting post. I'm not a writer but it is true that I often find solutions when I'm not actively searching for them.
    Like Ann and Flora, I like to begin with the first in a series.

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    1. And fascinating, right? Because where does that idea come from? The one you did not have five seconds before?

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  9. Crime puts characters under pressure...I like it.

    I suppose my ideas come from seeing something, but it's not an immediate thing. It's like the thing I saw (or heard) goes to some back-brain part of my mind and eventually, usually when I'm doing something else, I come up with the story.

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    1. It’s like a little stew back there, isn’t it? And the finished product emerges from a conglomeration of ingredients. It just Hass to milled and ripen. Hmmmmm.. Does stew ripen? You know what I mean :-)

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  10. Thank you, Randall, for this very thought-provoking essay! I am about to leave for a hike in the woods and feel like it was a special blessing to read this right before I go there.

    Like Ann, I prefer to start a series at the beginning, so I, too, will be seeking out the first Ryan DeMarco book today. He sounds like a character I will enjoy meeting.

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    1. Sometimes things just happen at the perfect time. Exactly what this essay is about! Have fun !

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  11. I'm not a writer, my creativity release is attached to yarns. These aren't the type of yarns that can take forever to conclude, though there was that one blanket I thought I would never finish. I usually find a fascinating yarn and purchase it, I'll come up with the idea later. Sometimes the idea comes years later, which can be a problem if I didn't purchase enough yarn. But then I don't that don't have enough yarn because I don't know what I'm going to make. Sigh.

    I, too, also like to begin at the beginning. Or if I find a good book and realize it's part of a series, I'll either finish that one book and then find the beginning and start anew or stop the current book so I can start at the beginning. I'm adding your name to my list for next weekend's morning at Copperfields.

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    1. Oh, I love that there is an idea in the yarn! And you just need to find it… How beautiful.

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  12. Being an avid reader this captivating post was beautiful and meaningful. When I go for my daily walks it gives me a chance to think clearly about life and important matters.
    When I start a series it must be at the beginning so that I am engrossed within the pages.

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  13. I read and have ever since I was very young. Reading gives me the enjoyment, pleasure and entertainment which I find lacking in other options. A series has to be started at the very onset with the first book. When I am in bed and cannot sleep that is when i get a brainstorm and creative ideas.

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  14. Very interesting post. Ideas often come to me when I am taking a walk or exercising. Even if I am listening to a book, my mind must be also otherwise occupied because things that have been bothering me will appear more clear or an idea will come to me.

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    1. Yes! Do you think that is because your mind is relaxed?

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  15. What a fascinating post, and very much needed on this Saturday morning when I've been rushing around from one chore to another. I, too, get ideas when my busy brain is disengaged. Chopping onions, like Hallie:-) or walking, and especially in the bath. And sometimes I dream them, which I always consider an extraordinary gift. But where do they come from? I think you have to prime the pump in the busy-brain time, by reading and thinking and writing, and then the ideas can come in the silence.

    A lovely post, Randall, and I'm going to look up your books.

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    1. And when you TRY to think, that doesn't work at all. I never dream them, sigh. Never. I dream all kinds of amazing things, and sometimes remember them like they really happened, which is, um, confusing. But nothing I can use in a book. xxx

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  16. Randall, I will have to agree with using the word fascinating about your post. Silence really can be golden, and letting the brain float can result in some interesting finds. I have started using my sleeping mask more these days, to shut out more sensory sources. It's not really the creative impetus that your silence is referring to, but it does allow me to completely shut off, which does my mind and body good.

    Your Ryan DeMarco sounds like a great character to invest some time in. I am drawn to his personal evolution and look forward to following it.

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    1. Oh, a sleeping mask...that is so interesting! Tell us more!

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  17. Getting out of my own way is the first step. Priming the pump with research, notes, images (thank you, Pinterest!) and then letting it all go and spending time hiking, doing yoga, gardening, even napping, until my sub-conscious helps me find my way into a story. I was having trouble finding my way into Book 3 of my Mercy Carr series, and I did all those aforementioned things things, and then I woke up in the middle night at 3 AM with the opening lines in my head. Success!

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    1. Really? Using Pinterest? Sounds like a blog to me... :-)

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  18. Randall, welcome to Jungle Reds! It amazes me how any of us can sit down and write a novel based on ideas! How do you construct your story based on ideas? I struggle with dialogue and names for characters. A friend, who was a film major at USC, once told me that it is hard to write a story with many characters. How do you decide if you want a certain number of characters?

    Hank, this is a great post! I love this!

    Where do I get ideas? The ideas come so easily. The problem is writing a novel length story based on my ideas with dialogue and names for characters. I love the cast of characters from Agatha Christie novels and G.M. Malliet's Max Tudor novels.

    Happy Saturday!

    Diana

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    1. Diana, that is so true--where does a whole book come from? And I don't think I ever decide on a certain number of characters...it's just about who needs to be in the world.

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    2. Hi, Diana. I sometimes find names in the telephone book. I read through the names, page after age, until I have a first and surname combination that feels right.

      As for determining the number of characters, I let the story do that. I try to have as few characters as possible, since that does make the writing and plotting easier, but sometimes it is necessary to introduce another minor character. There is no formula or equation for any of this; I just trust my gut feelings.

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    3. Hank, thank you. I wondered if the number of characters evolve ? develop ? as you write the novel. You answered my question.

      Randall, that's interesting about the phone book. Does it still exist in this age of mobile phones and the Internet? Thank you for your answer about the characters.

      Diana

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  19. Welcome, Randall, congratulations on your latest release. Such a great answer to the eternal author question. My best ideas and solutions to problems come when I'm driving. Probably, y'all want to stay off the road when I'm plotting because I fear I am not a great driver when this happens.

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    1. Oh, I can picture that! Having conversations with yourself, and checking expressions in the rear view. oxoo

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  20. Hello, everyone! I am so sorry for the late log-in. A little family emergency took me away this morning and I am just now back home. My partner's father took a fall this morning, so, while she rushed him off to the hospital, I was drafted to sit with her father's mother--my partner's 93-year-old grandmother--in her home, which is void of any useful electronics, including my laptop, which I left behind. It was a long day but Grandma entertained me with some wonderful stories, and even made me promise to take her for a ride on my motorcycle.

    Anyway, thank you all for your wonderful comments. And so many thanks to you, Hank, for so adroitly making my absence go unnoticed. I will be monitoring the comments from here on in and promise to respond quickly to any questions.

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    1. Oh my goodness, how distressing! Is everything back to semi-normal? And your motorcycle ride will be soon?
      And thank you for your fantastic post… As you can see, it was life-changing.

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  21. Hi! Wonderful thoughts!! I love crime novellas... Congrats for your new book, Randall!

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  22. I am a reader and a retired special ed. teacher. I used to get my best school ideas while in the shower!

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  23. Good morning! I just wanted to thank everybody once again for their kind welcomes and comments, and for taking the time to participate here yesterday. Jungle Red is a fantastic place for writers and readers to mingle. My best wishes and love to all.

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