Free Association

I just put this in my poetry thread, but I really don't want that thread getting derailed, so I thought I would start another thread about this. And then people can try it and paste what they write here. I think it would be really cool.

I was answering a question about allowing thoughts to flow freely. In my poetry, it is very unstructured...which is how I like poetry to be. When someone asked me about how to get your thoughts going, without the structure...it made me think of one of my favorite writing exercises. (Yes, I do writing exercises for fun.. )

Free Association

You need to be alone to do this, with no other distractions. Set a timer for 20 minutes(oven timers work great, you can keep them next to you, but NO LOOKING! Keep it out of sight.) Sit down with a notebook and a pen. (PEN, not a pencil...no erasing allowed! ) Let your mind clear. Try not to think about anything at all. Then, just write. Write the first thing that comes to your mind and anything after that. Even if all that is on your mind is "I wish I could think of something to write" Write it. Keep writing it and eventually, something else will come to mind. Just keep writing, and don't read over what you wrote at all.

This is the most important rule of Free Association. You CANNOT read what you have written in the middle, or you ruin it all, and your thoughts will stop.

Once you have written for the 20 minutes, and your timer goes off, shut the notebook and don't read it. I MEAN IT!! DON'T READ IT!!

Walk away from it and don't touch it until the next day. Do it again.

This is a great way to get thoughts flowing. The problem a lot of writers have, is they think too much. Thinking and obsessing over what you are writing CAUSES writer's block. Stop thinking about it, and just write.

I think it would be cool, if anyone is interested, for people to try this out, and then put what you wrote in here.

WOW, Im gonna try that.

I do this sometimes but I do it more with words. Like I'll start with the word..."winter" and then I'll think of "snow" and I'll write it next to winter, and then when I think snow I think of something else, and I'll go on. And on. And on. I usually do it for about five minutes, ten minutes max. I'll start with a word like winter and end up with gravy

I never stop writing, I don't cross out or erase, and if I can't think of something I write "blank."

It's fun to do. When I finish I read the first and last words and most of the time it's quite comical.

You are thinking of "Word Association". That one is fun, too. But "Free Association" is different. You just write, and you write in sentences, not just one word at a time.

Yeah. I will try free association sometime. Not now because the next 20 minutes will be spent TFSing!

Thanks alot Ido believe Ido have that prob...now to you Ican prolly try with all my fingers and eyes not to read anything that Ihave written...

wait wtf is tfsing...

My mind works too slow for free association lol

You are in my free association!

Cool!!

That was only two minutes lol

Annie...you are doing word association....free association is different..it involves sentences and actual stuff...not just words...

Like:

Well, I dunno if I can do it now...but I'll try.

Football in a crowded bar is where I am right now. Sometimes I sit and think and wonder what would have happened if we weren't here right now...maybe we would be frolicking with daisies...ooh I like daisies.....today I want ice cream mmmm ice cream...I looooove ice cream. I had ice cream the other day...my honey bought me some when I was feeling sick oh man I felt really sick like reaaaallllly sick. He went out and bought me some ice cream...amd then I thought about how much I loved him which is an awful lot....I mean I never really thought I could love somebody THIS much...but then it happened...see do you get what free association is it is just letting your thoughts flow one thought to the next and then the next and usually actually always they dont make sense really.....

Get it??