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I post on Monday with an occasional random blog thrown in for good measure. I do my best to answer all comments via email and visit around on the days I post.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

S is for Serendipity

Serendipity: Serendip is the Persian word for Sri Lanka. It comes to us from a Persian fairytale called "The Three Princes of Serendip." In the story, through luck and accident, three brothers have adventure and happy endings. The word serendipity was coined by Horace Walpole (an author and art historian) in a letter to a friend after he read "a silly fairy tale." It has come to mean, "the faculty of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for."

I love the word myself. It has a happy and light-hearted sound to it.

Serendipity. I don't know about you but the vast majority of my story ideas are serendipitous; they are valuable, agreeable things that have come to me without my seeking them out.

They have come to me in dreams or from reading the newspaper. They have descended upon me from out of the blue while taking a walk or watching TV. They have appeared under rocks and beneath flower petals. They have startled me by jumping out from behind trees.

I have three rings binders and notebooks and file drawers full of ideas. And I mean that quite literally.

This then is my problem. I have so many ideas I have trouble focusing. It continually amazes and surprises me that I am able to finish something because I am invariably tickled, pinched, poked and nudged by other ideas while working on another. But I do. Somehow. I have lots of finished stuff to prove it.

What about you. Do you live in a lush flower garden of ideas where you have a difficult time choosing which flowers to pick? Or do you have to dig and weed and work the soil before you get a strong and worthy plant?

16 comments:

  1. I Luv this! The word "serindipity" in itself is pure awesomeness. I saw the movie. REalized there was a real placein NYC that was Called Serindipity, and my hubby and I stood in line to get in . . . who knows how many hours. Was it the name? I doubt it was the food. Did they have great food? Yes! But it was NYC!!!! Everybody has great food.

    A name beyond description. . . a name that envokes the imagination . . . that is what captures all.

    Great post!

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  2. I love Serendipity. I love it when it happens, it makes me feel there is a great cosmic joke being played on me and for once it's a good one.

    And I can laugh right along with whomever's playing it.

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  3. Serendipity - used to be a shop in the old (70's) MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. If I remember right (I was just a kid) it sold all kinds of misc. things - Hollywood memorabilia, snacks, etc. Always sounded like a cool place to me - before I ever knew what the word meant.

    Oh! Also a great movie! One of my faves.

    Great post!

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  4. Thanks ladies! Look like I have to go see a movie by the name of Serendipity!

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  5. I too love the concept of serendipity. It's being open to the chance little encounters that bring personal enrichment and joy. Sometimes it happens with wonderful posts like this.

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  6. Oh yes, Serendipity the movie is wonderful! Love John Cusack.

    I am of the over-flowing flower garden variety. Unfortunately.

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  7. I get my ideas usually at night before I go to sleep, and there's always one strong one that really speaks to me.

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  8. I don't have as many ideas stored up as you do. But mine also come serendipitously. The premise for my WIP hit me one day like a ton of bricks because of a comment someone made. It may well be the best one I've ever had (including any of the stored-up ones) so I'll be hoping for a lot more serendipity in the future. :)

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  9. Yeah, that's just a fun word to say :) And I guess I've got the lush garden to pick from. Focusing has always been a challenge.

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  10. A post I read recently from a multiple published author said she makes her ideas work harder to get her attention. The powerful ones have sticking power and come back again and again.

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  11. Marcia, having too many ideas can be a problem....

    Yep, Sherrie, you, me and few others suffer from the same "disease."

    Laurel, I have a few of those. And you're right, those are the ones that get serious attention.

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  12. Love this word, excellent Bish!!! I must say that I'm fortunate enough to have a lush garden full of ideas (loved this!) and I take a nice walk and carefully choose what to work on next. If I find that the idea hasn't quite bloomed I'll allow it more time to grow into something I can use!!!

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  13. One of my favorite words. Yup, I also have too many ideas, but simply writing them in a notebook keeps them quiet ... I think when you are focused on something specific, say tails, you notice all sorts of things about tails which you wouldn't normally. So many discoveries have been made by a happy accident, but as always, the mind was primed for it.

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  14. Jen, I must do as you do...and let a flower finish opening before I go trying to put it into a bouquet!

    HA! Vijaya I wish they would keep quite by being in a notebook. But no...I still have ideas tumbling around in my head from high school! GAK!

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  15. That word, serendipity, has always rolled off my tongue with a lovely sound. Now it rolls off with a bit more appreciation for the history behind it.

    Thanks as always, Bish. Love the knowledge.

    As to the lush flower garden, I'm definitely appreciating the lushness and determination of the native flowers at the moment.

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  16. I have ideas by the barge-load. What I need more of is self-discipline!

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Your Random Thoughts are most welcome!