I've heard many fiction writers -- and I've found this to be the case in my own experience as well -- speak of the fact that their writing comes from the unconscious rather than the conscious mind. At least, that their best writing does. That it comes from a dream-like or reverie state of mind, as a kind of mysterious and spontaneous emanation from some depth, and not as the result of conscious, logical planning processes.
On the other hand, fiction usually does have structure and some coherence, which seems to require some planning. And people do edit their pieces, and obviously that editing must have some conscious element to it. A lot of people seem to outline their pieces extensively -- that also sounds like primarily consciously guided work.
What is the place of unconscious as opposed to conscious writing in your work? How do you strike a balance between the two, or do you lean far in one direction or another?
On the other hand, fiction usually does have structure and some coherence, which seems to require some planning. And people do edit their pieces, and obviously that editing must have some conscious element to it. A lot of people seem to outline their pieces extensively -- that also sounds like primarily consciously guided work.
What is the place of unconscious as opposed to conscious writing in your work? How do you strike a balance between the two, or do you lean far in one direction or another?