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ENTRY

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008

What I'm starting to think about as a general framework for artistic endeavors is a "Theory of Satisfaction." The purpose of the theory is to explain and predict the process of artistic creation as well as how people experience a work of art. I'll be speaking about fiction, obviously, although I'm not specifically including or excluding any creative, expressive activity as art.

I'll present ideas from the writer?s perspective as well as the reader?s. The two perspectives are obviously different, but one informs the other. I'm dividing the discussion into six topics:

satisfaction is an emotion
satisfaction is achieved when expectations are met or exceeded
satisfaction is changeable and temporal
satisfaction varies greatly from person to person
satisfaction is relatively short-lived
satisfaction is addictive

First, satisfaction is an emotion. Satisfaction is different from "satisfactory," which means meeting a set of minimum criteria. The satisfaction I'm referring to is more the sense of being satisfied or sated. It's different from but intertwined with pleasure. When we are satisfied, we may sense of pleasure. Satisfaction refers an emotion after a completed action, whereas pleasure refers to a current emotional state. So when we've achieved satisfaction, we often feel pleasure. Satisfaction is also different from happiness, which is a more complex bundle of emotions and refers to a positive general state of being.

While I'm writing, there is a continual process of creation, analysis, and reaction. I'm putting down words, listening to them what they are saying, critiquing them, and either going forward with more words or going back and revising words already written. This process isn't always as linear as it sounds - I could be at any stage at anytime, going back and forward as much as my cognitive capacity allows. And the process doesn't all occur at a conscious level, some of it happens at a subconscious level. Satisfaction moderates this process. If satisfaction is strong then the process tends to keep going smoothly and quickly. If satisfaction is weak or negative, the process tends to drag and can break down.

When I'm reading, I'm processing words into meaning, analyzing them, and reacting to them. If the meaning I'm getting is satisfying, then the reading experience continues smoothly and quickly. If not, it drags and can breakdown. The feeling of a satisfactory reading experience is the vivid, continuous dream that the American author and professor John Gardner wrote about. Like during sleep, you may know you are dreaming but you are so enthralled in the experience you don't want it to end.

#

© 2010

COMMENTS

Number of comments: 6
click here to add a comment

Jean Hanson
I look forward to Part II. This is a bit like the writer's/reader's side of all the studies coming out lately about how happiness looks when viewed from inside the brain. I've often wished to quantify what it is I find alluring about writing, and why I'm such a voracious reader.

Todd
Thanks, Jean. Indeed, I'm fascinated with all the recent brain research going on. So I am influenced by it. I'm not sure where "satisfaction" occurs in the brain, likely multiple places. That would be interesting research if someone already hasn't looked at it.

Jo Reed
Okay, sure, I see your point but it's kind of abstract. I guess you'll be giving us "writers" (not sure why that's in quotes) some specifics on using your Grand Theory.

Todd
Yep, Jo, specifics to follow! Oh, and I'm not sure why you put "writers" in quotes either. Some subconscious reluctance, fear of failure? I assume you are a "writer"? When do the quotes come off?

Jo Reed
OKay, you got me there. Sure I'm a writer (quotes or not big boy). Did you always consider yourself a Writer?

Todd
Guess I always did, even when I wasn't.

ARCHIVE

date (comments)

Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)

Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)

Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)

Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)

Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)

Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)

Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)

Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)

Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)

J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)

2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)

Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)

Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)

Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)

Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)

Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)

Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)

The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)

October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)

Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)

The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (1)

The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)

Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)

Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)

Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)

Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)

The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)

"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)

John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)

2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)

Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)

The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)

David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)

Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)

Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)

"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)

Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)

Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)

To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)

Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog home \| current \| forthcoming \| past \| contact
ENTRY Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 What I'm starting to think about as a general framework for artistic endeavors is a "Theory of Satisfaction." The purpose of the theory is to explain and predict the process of artistic creation as well as how people experience a work of art. I'll be speaking about fiction, obviously, although I'm not specifically including or excluding any creative, expressive activity as art. I'll present ideas from the writer?s perspective as well as the reader?s. The two perspectives are obviously different, but one informs the other. I'm dividing the discussion into six topics: satisfaction is an emotion satisfaction is achieved when expectations are met or exceeded satisfaction is changeable and temporal satisfaction varies greatly from person to person satisfaction is relatively short-lived satisfaction is addictive First, satisfaction is an emotion. Satisfaction is different from "satisfactory," which means meeting a set of minimum criteria. The satisfaction I'm referring to is more the sense of being satisfied or sated. It's different from but intertwined with pleasure. When we are satisfied, we may sense of pleasure. Satisfaction refers an emotion after a completed action, whereas pleasure refers to a current emotional state. So when we've achieved satisfaction, we often feel pleasure. Satisfaction is also different from happiness, which is a more complex bundle of emotions and refers to a positive general state of being. While I'm writing, there is a continual process of creation, analysis, and reaction. I'm putting down words, listening to them what they are saying, critiquing them, and either going forward with more words or going back and revising words already written. This process isn't always as linear as it sounds - I could be at any stage at anytime, going back and forward as much as my cognitive capacity allows. And the process doesn't all occur at a conscious level, some of it happens at a subconscious level. Satisfaction moderates this process. If satisfaction is strong then the process tends to keep going smoothly and quickly. If satisfaction is weak or negative, the process tends to drag and can break down. When I'm reading, I'm processing words into meaning, analyzing them, and reacting to them. If the meaning I'm getting is satisfying, then the reading experience continues smoothly and quickly. If not, it drags and can breakdown. The feeling of a satisfactory reading experience is the vivid, continuous dream that the American author and professor John Gardner wrote about. Like during sleep, you may know you are dreaming but you are so enthralled in the experience you don't want it to end. # © 2010	COMMENTS Number of comments: 6 click here to add a comment Jean Hanson I look forward to Part II. This is a bit like the writer's/reader's side of all the studies coming out lately about how happiness looks when viewed from inside the brain. I've often wished to quantify what it is I find alluring about writing, and why I'm such a voracious reader. Todd Thanks, Jean. Indeed, I'm fascinated with all the recent brain research going on. So I am influenced by it. I'm not sure where "satisfaction" occurs in the brain, likely multiple places. That would be interesting research if someone already hasn't looked at it. Jo Reed Okay, sure, I see your point but it's kind of abstract. I guess you'll be giving us "writers" (not sure why that's in quotes) some specifics on using your Grand Theory. Todd Yep, Jo, specifics to follow! Oh, and I'm not sure why you put "writers" in quotes either. Some subconscious reluctance, fear of failure? I assume you are a "writer"? When do the quotes come off? Jo Reed OKay, you got me there. Sure I'm a writer (quotes or not big boy). Did you always consider yourself a Writer? Todd Guess I always did, even when I wasn't.	ARCHIVE date (comments) Review: Kissing the Mask August 22, 2010 (1) Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins July 12, 2010 (2) Review: Love in Translation June 22, 2010 (3) Jose Saramago June 18, 2010 (0) Marketplace of Ideas interview June 11, 2010 (2) Imagining Memory May 6, 2010 (1) Upcoming Los Angeles events April 7, 2010 (2) Time and energy March 30, 2010 (2) Review: Botchan February 28, 2010 (2) J.D. Salinger January 28, 2010 (1) 2009 Reviewed December 31, 2009 (5) Review: The Word Book December 12, 2009 (1) Chaat and Chat event with OH! November 6, 2009 (2) Home at last November 2, 2009 (2) Los Angeles events October 17, 2009 (1) Poets and poetry October 7, 2009 (1) Time + place September 24, 2009 (1) The future of books September 23, 2009 (1) October book tour September 6, 2009 (1) Blogging at Powell's Books August 28, 2009 (2) The evolution of an idea August 3, 2009 (1) The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey July 9, 2009 (2) Tour debrief July 2, 2009 (3) Book tour events May 18, 2009 (3) Simply in the mood April 24, 2009 (2) Book tour April 8, 2009 (6) The Necessary Book March 2, 2009 (2) "Murder Makes the Magazine" February 7, 2009 (3) John Updike January 27, 2009 (2) 2008 misc. (good news, bad news) January 1, 2009 (3) Publishing woes and query letters December 13, 2008 (4) Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 (3) The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas) October 10, 2008 (2) David Foster Wallace September 14, 2008 (2) Ending it all September 12, 2008 (2) The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 (3) Blocking out the block August 20, 2008 (3) "What kind of books do you write?" August 8, 2008 (2) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4 July 21, 2008 (3) Show and tell July 14, 2008 (3) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3 July 7, 2008 (7) Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me) June 30, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2 June 18, 2008 (3) To be or not to be June 10, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 (6) Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 (4) The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 (5)