Z: Zone

Z:  If you've completed a writing project, you probably know what it's like to be 'in the zone.' Athletes, scientists, performers of all sorts, talk about being in the zone.  While in the zone, everything comes easily. 

I've gotten back to my running habits and though I'm slower than I was twenty years ago when I used to enter races, I'm finally back in shape enough to experience being in the zone.  For runners, it's that second wind, when you feel like you could run forever.  Everything is in rhythm, your breathing, your strides, your muscles working smoothly, every step is without effort. Some people call it a runner's high, and it's wonderful.

When writing, being in the zone means the words flow unto the page.  The story moves along and every word fits.  Your fingers can't keep up with your thoughts. You don't even need to get up to refill your coffee or glass of wine.  The  prose pours out of your mind and unto the screen.  You can't stay there forever, but it really feels great while you're in the zone.

Hopefully, A to Z, has led you close to being 'in the zone' with social networking.  Have you ever been in the zone writing? Have you found yourself in any other 'zones?'

Z: Zone

Every runner and writer has experienced it, being in 'the zone.'  For the runner, everything is easy.  Your breathing is in perfect rhythm to your steps.  Your legs feel strong and your feet seem to bounce off the ground.  Your body feels like it could run forever. 

For writers, it's those times when your fingers can't keep up with the thoughts tumbling from the bottomless well of creativity in your mind.  You always come up with the perfect verb and not one adverb sneaks its way into the prose.  Scenes come alive on the computer screen with descriptions better than a picture.  This is the zone and if you're lucky it could last for days.  Even a few hours of the zone can produce thousands of words.

How does one find the zone?  For runners I believe training and pushing yourself each time you tie on your sneakers can lead to those workouts where your slip into the zone.  For writers?  I think knowing where your story is going, knowing your characters and finding enough hours to write can take you to the zone.

Have you ever found the zone while writing?  What the best production day you ever had writing?