Insights from a creative writer.
1. Most of the words are written long before they make it onto the page.
I recently read the Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker. In it he stated that a creative person feels the expression of their creativity is merely a process of getting out what is inside their heads.
That’s exactly how I feel about writing. I don’t have to think about what to write, I just have to get it from brain onto screen.
90% of what I want to say is buzzing around in my head and my fingers are typing as quick as they can capture those thoughts. Most of that 90% occurs as I rest my head on the pillow to go to sleep at night, not while I’m sitting in front of my screen or researching.
2. Shitty first draft — and the power of editing.
I write exactly what is in my brain. I don’t judge it, or edit it, or even consider it as I type. I just write.
Once my thoughts are on paper (screen) I can easily go back and change them, but if I wait for the words and sentences to form perfectly before I type them, I end up with nothing.
I love a good editing session. Usually, I aim for first thing the next day, when my brain is fresh and well hydrated. My final product rarely reflects the SFD (shitty first draft) and I like it that way.
This process nearly always results in adding length to the piece, usually around an extra 1,000 words.
3. Take note(s).
This is a fairly new practice for me, but with more projects on the go at once, and no formal way of organising my thoughts, taking notes has been a game changer.
(is there such a thing as a formal way of organising thoughts?)
I keep my notes app as a large widget on the homescreen of my iPhone. When an interesting or memorable thought pops into my mind I record it there, no matter the time of day or night. I’ve tried voice memos and written lists but they don’t work for me.
These notes are sometimes titles of pieces I want to write about here on Medium, or full sentences for projects that I’m working on.
I don’t restrict myself to a certain length or that what I write has to make sense. I focus on making the thought into tangible, written words, and then my creativity will consume those words as food for thought. Literally!
4. Find flow. And find a way to write when you can’t.
Plenty of writers talk about getting into a flow state in order to write endlessly.
Jessica Lynn writes here about how to find flow. I resonate with many of the ideas and suggestions she shares. I do believe there are habits you can get into which enable flow to happen more often and more effectively.
However, I don’t practice forcing a flow. For me it just happens — or it doesn’t. I accept that without judgement.
What I’ve come to learn is that there is a great deal of productivity which can occur when flow decides not to be a part of your life that day.
For me, this looks like doing all of the factual or non-creative aspects of my projects. I write on research heavy topics which always include dates, times, places — things which take no creativity to document. And I look at it like that — documenting, rather than creating.
Low flow or no flow is also a great time to take care of admin. Reply to emails, organise calendars, or just reading the research itself. This means when I’m in flow, I don’t waste any of my gold on the mundane stuff.
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For context, I’m Sophie. I am a Freelance writer specialising in True Crime and Healthcare writing. I don’t write 4,000 words everyday, just every day that I have flow — anywhere from 1 -5 days a week.