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Posts tagged ‘freewrite’

Jul 31

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How to write in your sleep

A few days ago, I had a flash of insight about a story I wanted to write. I quickly wrote out a draft and after making some changes, I looked at it and decided I was missing some of the deeper meaning.

I’m going to rely on my subconscious self to delve into the deeper meaning. I have a strategy to do this. If you’re also looking for ways to build out a piece of your writing, you may want to try it.

Here’s how:
1. Print a poem, short story, or a few pages of a manuscript you’re working on and read it right before you go to sleep. If you have any outstanding questions about its direction, write them in the margins of your page and think about them as you drift off to sleep. As you sleep, your story will be simmering in your subconscious. Read more

Jan 13

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Three ways to unleash your inner journaler

Just the thought of starting a journal freezes some writers in their tracks. Maybe you’ve been there. You open the cover of your fancy journal and stop. You don’t want to write about what you ate for breakfast. You blank out on the blank page.

But journaling can reveal writing gems that lead to new stories, character ideas, or valuable insights. Journals can be a legacy for family. A bit of history.

Sometimes focus is the answer to thawing your writing muscles. These prompts or topics might be the answer to shape your journaling practice:

Write 100 words. Decide to write 100 words (or 125 or whatever word count you choose). Write like a madman or madwoman. Write with no regard to meaning, sounds, spelling, or common sense. Fling the words onto the page. Do it as a free write, timed write, or just write.

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