Let your words flow . . .

Ever found yourself staring at a blank screen or gazing through the drizzle as the rain patters rhythmically against the window glass?

Whether it's been because you're thinking up the next plotline to your next best-seller, got an acute case of writer's block or are prone to the odd daydream, if you're a writer, I would guess you have. But if you're going to finish whatever you're trying to write you need to get those sometimes pesky words onto the page.

During our last writer's group session we decided to try a freestyle session whereby we picked a random topic there and then, set a timer for 20 minutes and just put pen to paper. We all scribbled away with no preconceptions about what we were about to write. There was no planning or plotting or predetermined prose and yet many of us managed to complete a short story or poem, whilst others had the beginnings of a larger concept. Some examples of what we produced can be found on our new 'Features Page'.

I found this exercise interesting, as I've tried this technique before and haven't really achieved much previously. So what was different this time?

Going with the flow . . .

Before I had tried to sit down and focus on what I was currently working on, but constraining myself by my inner editor. The result - 350 words if I was lucky and feeling deflated that others had achieved much, much more.

In the writing group session, I let the words flow, not caring where it was going or if it was going to be something worth reading. I wasn't one that had a completed poem or short story when the buzzer sounded at the end of the 20 minutes, but I did have the start of something I could work on. Something, that if I had known the topic beforehand I probably wouldn't have written.

It's something we as writers are all guilty of at times - over thinking. It's probably one of the reasons why those words never make it onto the page. By freeing your thoughts, keeping your inner editor on a leash and allowing yourself to just write I'm sure you'll create something wonderful. It's a great technique for developing a writing habit, coming up with ideas and plotlines and finishing a first draft. So stop worrying about if it makes sense, spelling mistakes or your grammar. Set some time aside and watch the magic happen before your eyes.

#writersblock #editing #freestyle #writing #habit #create