The Power of Freewriting

Two writers walk into a bar.
They each order a chardonnay.

Have you ever heard this one?
No?
That’s because I made it up.

 Sometimes, when we’re stuck, or our creativity is blocked, it’s best to just write though it.  This is true even for seasoned writers and artists.
So, when you’re writing is stuck, write a joke, write a rhyme– just get that writing flowing.

What does that look like? Just start writing, with no censorship, no wrong answers, no “That’s so dumb; I’m not writing that.”  Just write.  No, really!

And just to prove I am serious, here’s my no-judgments, totally-off-the-cuff, free write:

JOKE

Two writers walk into a bar.
They each order a chardonnay.
As the bartender hands over the glasses, he says,
“You post-modern creative types.  All  you’re ever about is wine, wine, wine.”

RHYME

 Two writers walk into a bar.
They each order a chardonnay.
Though they know it won’t take their writing far,
they shrug and say, “what the hay?”

Now, look, Pulitzer isn’t going to be calling me up anytime soon to be handing out prizes for that piece of writing.  So, why was I so vulnerable with you, showing you unrevised, uncensored work?

To prove this point: the Chardonnay Chronicles above may not be prize-winning.  Hell, they may not even be usable, but they got my creative juices flowing.  

By putting two and two together in odd ways, by playing with a joke or a rhyme, I stepped outside of myself, allowed myself to create without the pressures of perfection or publication.

 Think of it this way: before a workout or a run, one usually stretches, right? Warms up a little bit?  Gets the blood flowing to the muscles?
Why would it be any different for writers? We need to get things flowing too, and not only is that OK, it’s part of the process.

Making a warm-up a part of your writing habit helps get you into the mood, and can also be fun– especially if you know you’ve got permission in that timespan to create anything, regardless of quality.

Oddly, though, what ends up happening for me is that some of my best stuff comes from this pressure-free moments.  Publishable? Not always.  The beginning of something cool? Often.

Our creativity is wonky (Yeah, I just used that word in a sentence.) and accessing it can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible.  The people I’ve worked with in groups, one-on-one, and at retreats have fallen into amazing writing grooves after our work together, and that’s the joy of what I do.

I’d love to share some writing tips with you and hear about your writing successes.  Come on in and join us. The Chardonnay’s just fine.  (See how I brought that around, there. Yeah.  Umm. Ok. EXITS STAGE LEFT.)