Free-writing

Hello to all.My last post was about how not to write that book that is blazing in your head, or what can happen and usually does.

If you do not have an outline and a plan.

These two things alone will stop your monster in its tracks. It may possibly do more. Ideas cannot be copyrighted  The base idea can spin off in someone else's head, but you can still recognise it. This can be shattering for some and even worse if your idea is written very poorly, which does unfortunately happen a lot more than you would think.

Write down the idea and get stuck into it. That way you should have a great start on anyone else. The odds that they are still only thinking about it, whereas you are actually on the way.

Personally, I like an idea or two that my tutor swears by to get started with a book. Free-write and mind-map. These two simple actions can help to make writing a book a breeze. Let's take them one at a time.

I'm sure you've heard that free-writing comes from the right-brain which is connected to your sub-conscious. This place never stops; it works all the hours and would work more if it could. Years ago, Stephen King wrote of the sub-conscious as his personal sweat-shop for tiny people who sweated coming up with plots for him to take his pick, or left them overnight with something that was causing a blockage.

Set a clock for five or ten minutes. make sure it has an alarm.or get a cheap egg timer and set it beside you. Anything that can be made to make a noise after a set time is perfect. Ten minutes is usually enough, otherwise you may tire these little muses there.

Simply write. Anything at all. Your grocery list may appear. Take no notice and keep writing. Somewhere in this mess of pure words, there will be some real diamonds thrown up by the little guys which you can use. Don't stop until your timer goes off. Don't even go over a word and correct spelling. This will interrupt your creativity.

When you come to the end of your time, have a look at what you have written and see what you can tie in with your idea for your book. It might simply look like gibberish, but there are some parts you will be able utilize.

This is also an excellent exercise to start writing every day, if you are stiff and without thoughts. In order to write, you must stimulate the mind. This is one of the best ways I have found to do that. Dry-writing is very hard and no fun at all. have fun with your book. Robert Ludlum once said he had a marvellous idea for an epic. He sat down and began to free-write. His epic disappeared into one of the funniest books he had ever written, yet he had never intended that to happen. The book is Road to Gondolpho if you are interested in reading. I don't know if it is on Kindle, as the man is sadly deceased.

Next post we'll discuss mind-maps.