Freewriting on a Sunday (or Any Day You Can!)

Albuquerque Morning; watercolor crayons and indigo ink

It's Sunday morning and I'm doing my best to recreate an earlier life: walk to the museum, buy coffee, write to a prompt.

Once I sit down, the background noise holds a familiarity that is good to write to: the coffee machine hisses, children run around the lobby, people stand in line and can't make up their minds what to order: quiche or a chocolate croissant? The cafe tables, as always, are unbalanced, their legs too short on one side and the floor is tiled. The only difference between then and now is I am alone; my writer's group disbanded long ago. And that's okay--writing is a solitary activity and I've learned to be comfortable with solitude.

And just like in the past, I've got a handful of prompts: magazine photos and snippets of text. What to choose? I place everything face-down on the table and pick a few at random before turning them over and surprising myself with the myriad of possibilities. I set the time (how about forty minutes?) and I begin . . . flash fiction, essay, poetry, new chapter for a work-in-progress . . . ?

Whatever I end up writing, though, isn't half as important as the fact I showed up. I did what I set out to do. And that's the beauty of freewriting: taking the time, making the effort, and being perpetually surprised at how much I can write even when I don't really want to.

I can't say enough about freewriting. Ever since I first read (and re-read) Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and followed her advice on the topic I've been hooked. Here's why:

1. Freewriting is good for absolutely everything: short stories; novels; memoir; screenplays; poetry, even business correspondence. You can't go wrong with a "don't think, just write" first draft.

2. Breaking freewriting sessions (or anything else for that matter) into timed segments makes me far more productive than when I force myself into hours and hours of non-stop work--which never really works. Note: If you don't like the pressure of a time frame, going for several word- or page-count sessions is equally effective; 500 words per session or 3-5 pages are doable goals.

3. I love prompts. I've written about this before, my last post for National Poetry Month being one example. Prompts save time--no more thinking about what to write--and they don't have to be snipped from magazines or other printed materials. How about choosing an item from your handbag, or writing about a person, animal, object, or piece of artwork right in the area you're sitting?

4. Freewriting gives me a great sense of daily accomplishment. My favorite quote from Dorothy Parker is: "I hate writing, I love having written." While I'd never say I hate writing (because I don't), there are, of course days, I'm not particularly motivated, or I'm too preoccupied with some kind of boring energy drain (e.g., taxes) to sit down and write. Which are the very times that I need to sit down and write. So I do--even if it's only for fifteen minutes.

5. Freewriting has given me what I can only describe as an attitude of "joyful discipline." It's something I've learned to extend into a wide variety of creative pursuits, from gesture drawing and watercolor play to making memory-wire bracelets. Working with a dedicated focus inside a set time frame really boosts my energy and desire to create, and without making me feel the time spent is some kind of horrible homework assignment.

6. I get to use supplies, supplies, supplies! Freewriting by hand is essentially about mark-making, expressing how you feel or think at any given moment in the most honest way possible. To really get those feelings out, try using: giant sketchpads, glitter gel pens, exquisite fountain pens, fancy leather-bound journals, purple ink!

 7. Freewriting gets me out of the house. Writing in cafes, the park, and of course the art museum is more than inspiring, it's fun. Conversely, if you have to go somewhere, e.g., some dull appointment where you have to wait for hours before you're seen, freewriting can make the time go more quickly and enjoyably.

Tip of the Day: No prompt? No problem! Whenever you're stuck, tired, or can't lay your hands on a single magazine, you can always fall back on Natalie Goldberg's elegant go-to: I remember. Fifteen minutes, people--no excuses--keep those pens moving!