The Power of Stream of Consciousness Writing

There's a phrase I've heard before though I haven't been able to place the where and the why, but it has always stuck with me.

The best way to train for a marathon is just to start running.

Now this doesn't mean just heading out your front door and pounding the pavement makes it so eventually you'll be able to run a marathon - well it does, but that's not what we're talking about today. 

It means not waiting for that perfect day and the perfect conditions or for the stars to be aligned just begin lace up your shoes and go today without putting it off any longer.

What is Stream-of-Consciousness Writing?

Let's take a short trip back to my very first creative writing class where I had no idea what would await me as soon as I took my seat for this explanation. 

Placed on each desk was a single piece of lined paper, and a black pen. 

On the board was the prompt 

A Photograph Sits on a Bedside 

The teacher told us nothing but her name and to place ours on the top of the page, before she set a timer for ten minutes and told us to write. When the timer went off, our papers were collected and we saw them again at the end of the semester. 

This happened at the beginning of each class with the bonus that as soon as she learned our names she would begin to call us out if our pens/pencils ever stood still for longer than a second. 

You were only graded on the assignment if you had reached a certain number of lines on the page (large writing was considered cheating.)

This didn't leave a lot of time for figuring out what kind of story you were going to write or how you were going to write it. She had even gone as far as to make sure the board was covered at the beginning of class so that no one could get a jump start before the timer had been started. 

This exercise forced us into taking part in what is known as stream-of-consciousness writing or writing what comes to your head allowing you to write your thoughts down on the page unfiltered and flowing in one direction since there's no going back once you put something on the page.

Why Should You Use It?

Stream-of-consciousness writing can help with two major things when it comes to writing.

Unleashing creativity and overcoming writer's block.

Sometimes when we sit down to write we start thinking about what we are going to write and then we start to sit there and overthink what we are going to sit there and write while we're sitting there and thinking about writing. 

It's enough to give anyone a headache. 

By using stream-of-consciousness writing all you have to think of is a single thought, that first sentence, and then you follow that strand of yarn back pulling it line by line until you've ended up with a knitted blanket. 

Sure it's going to be wonky and janky, but that's ok, it was made with love and you can always fix it later.

How To Use It?

Stream-of-consciousness writing is one of the easiest writing practices you can add to your routine in as few as four simple steps. 

When you're sitting (or standing) with your preferred writing method in front of you just follow these steps.

1. Decide on a Starting Point- Whether you are exploring a character, a setting, or needing to just start where the story begins make sure to have a general idea in mind before you begin so you can start as soon as the timer starts. 
2. Set A Timer- This can be any amount of time from 10 minutes to half an hour or more as long as you can commit the entire time to writing and nothing else then the length of time is up to you.
3. Write and Stop For Nothing- As soon as you write that very first letter do not stop until that timer is turned off, no stopping to think, no editing or erasing just write, write, write, uninterrupted for the entire time. Your pen should never go still.
4. Embrace the Chaos- In the end, you might hate everything you've written, but in most cases, it will be the starting drive to continue with your writing session and break through whatever block may have been keeping you from writing.

Stream-of-consciousness writing is also a great tool to start your writing sessions even if it's not in a project, just simply choosing a prompt and writing for a predetermined amount of time just to get into the writing mood before moving on to work on your project for the day. 

Keep these sessions as you never know what they may one day turn into.

Want to try this, but don't feel as if you can keep yourself on track?

Call of Writing is a free site, even available in a mobile app where you have to write until you meet a (set by you) amount of words or time limit - if you don't? 

Well, you don't want to find out. 

Best of luck in all that you write! 

With love,

B.K. xo xo

Want to write with me live? I'm now on Twitch! Come join me in some writing sprints every Wed-Thurs-Fri-Sat at 10:30 pm EST

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