Writing Thoughts

                                                      PLANT A SEED, GROW A STORY

Writing is a fun thing to do!  It’s not always easy to start, to figure out what you want to say.  It helps if you have some little seeds to get you started to grow your story.  That’s when a LifeBook comes in handy.  A LifeBook is where you collect little bits and pieces of your life. (See my LifeBook video). Each of these little bits and pieces becomes a little seed.  A little seed to plant and grow into a story.  

Step 1:  Pick a seed or seeds.

Step 2:  Pick someone and tell them about your seed or seeds.  (I like to think of this as pre-thinking/prewriting.)

Step 3:  Write your story.  It’s helpful to write a bit., then stop. Read it out loud to yourself.  See how it sounds.  Does anything need to be changed?  Do it.  Keep writing, stoping, reading out loud, changing until your story is complete.

Step 4:  Read your story out loud to a friend and talk about it.

Step 5:  Now, it’s time to “play” with your story.  Reread your story out loud.  Stop, when something doesn’t sound right or you left something out, like spelling, punctuation.  Make the changes.  Keep reading the story out loud, making changes until it’s Just Right.

Step 6:  Publish, share, celebrate your story :).  Have a party!  You’ve worked hard on it.

It’s so important to “hear” how your story sounds out loud.  Things that aren’t working become more apparent when said out loud.  Reading to others is powerful too!   It’s good to know what someone else thinks :)

                                                          What is Free Writing?

Free writing works.  It get words flowing and ideas bubbling.

The hardest thing about free writing or writing is to start.  Free writing pushes words out of your head and onto paper.

Mark Levy — “Free writing is really a way of taking your mind and dropping it onto the paper and watch yourself think.”

It gets you writing.  

How to Free Write

Have tools — paper, pen, timer, plenty of space to write.

No distractions, just write!  Maybe have a sign — Do Not Disturb!

Set timer or page limit.  Start small and build time up.

Pick a prompt or not.  Use a word, phrase or question.  It’s just a springboard.  See where it takes you.

Ready, set (the timer), WRITE!!!

Keep writing the whole time.  No stopping, no going back, no playing/fixing it, write whatever pops into your head.

Keep going until timer says STOP!  You’re done.  

You can read it after the timer goes off.

Don’t expect it to make sense.

NO JUDGEMENT!!  It’s just a free space to write.

Don’t know what to write?  Just write, “I don’t know what to write.”  Write it again and again and again until you have something to write — something comes to mind.

The important thing is that you write.  Just write anything that comes to mind.  Just let the ideas flow.  

This is NOT a one time experience.  Keep doing it.  Stretch and develop that writing muscle.  If you don’t, it atrophies.

Do what’s right for YOU.  Every couple days, once a week or month.  Whatever works for you.  sarahwayte.com 

Free Writing Tips

Write daily.  It strengthens the writing muscle.

Create a ritual.  Have a consistent time and place for writing.

Start with small goals.  Maybe beginning with write 50 words each day and continue to add more.

Find a partner, writing coach, writing group, share with others.

Free write unblocks writing.  Set timer for 10 to 20 minutes.  Write without stopping.  Read what you wrote out loud.

Keep an idea journal —A LifeBook.

Change genres.  Write it differently.

Read other writing in your genre and analyze it.