Free Writing

Talking about storytelling leads me naturally on to the subject of Free Writing. This is simply the name for a particular exercise designed to help you get into the creative mode and free up your imagination (as well as get your fingers moving!).

So, you sit down to write and maybe find yourself stumbling; you can’t seem to think of anything worth writing, or maybe something that you would tell to someone easily feels awkward when faced with a blank page. But don’t worry - writing is a little bit like exercise – the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that when you write frequently you never get writer’s block, or that procrastination (a chronic writer’s condition) becomes a thing of the past. It’s just that, as you begin to write, no matter what it is, the words begin to flow. And the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

So, whether you are a new writer, an aspiring writer, or even a more experienced writer, the key to getting started is to write – anything - everything. Whatever is swirling around in your brain at the time, let it out. It doesn’t even matter whether you use punctuation or grammar. In fact, it may be best to use as little ‘thinking’ as possible – just write. Sometimes, even just a few words about what you are feeling helps to get the brain and the fingers in synch, working together to produce words, and after a while, you begin to find the words flowing. Not just the words, but also the ideas.

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It may be that, as you write you are inspired by a creative thought, or a story, or even a sentence. You decide to abandon whatever it is that you have been writing and begin to develop that new idea further. This is fine. This is to be expected. It’s what happens to me almost every time I sit down to write. It is, if you like, the whole purpose of the exercise.

Once inspired, let that ‘exercise’ go, and continue to follow whatever inspiration follows. The initial words were only the tool to help oil the creative cogs. Even once you begin truly writing, it may be that you need to go back later and change, delete, or edit, but this is fine, just keep going at this stage. Sometimes, if you begin to ‘edit’ too soon, you can lose that flow; your creativity can become shackled by logical thinking.

Once you get into the swing of things, begin to tell your story, whatever it is, whatever form it takes: diary entry, story, poem, article, memory, anecdote – it matters not. Just go with it and you will soon realise that you do have stories to tell.

If you are a new, and perhaps nervous, writer, this can be a good way to begin, to get over the fear. But, even experienced writers can use the ‘write any old rubbish’ to connect with the more creative side of their brain and focus on what they want to produce.

Our lives are full of distractions and we constantly have to listen to the logical ‘left-brained’ side of our intellect. But, by free writing, we can make a transition and connect with our creative brain. I imagine it as lying somewhere in my subconscious yet I don’t always know exactly where that is, so I need a conduit, a way to bring it to me. And free writing is often a good way to invite it forward.

So, what are you still doing sitting here reading this? Go on – write something!