Rules to Keep in Mind When Doing Creative Writing Exercises
These rules come with a disclaimer that they are here for you if you like rules, or they are here for you if you prefer to rebel against rules. (Excerpted from Take Ten for Writers.)
KEEP WRITING: This is the #1 way to keep up your momentum. So don’t stop; keep moving forward. If you hit a block, and don’t know what to write next, write the last word over and over until something new starts flowing. Usually it’s the word ‘and.’ Write ‘and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and’ and soon you will be writing ‘and I am sick of writing the word and, and I am also sick of … ’ and you’re off and writing again.
DON’T EDIT: Editing is left-brained work, and it is also FRICTION which will stop your momentum in its tracks. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar; there’s plenty of time for that later. Don’t go back and cross out or change words. If you can’t think of a particular word, draw a line and keep writing. At the end of the writing session, the line will remind you that you wanted to search for a word. Just make sure you can read your own handwriting.
LET YOURSELF GO: Don’t worry about the end result. Give yourself permission to write junk. Don’t hold back or filter yourself. You don’t have to show this to anyone, so go on an adventure.
BE SPECIFIC: Use all your senses to describe things. Use your sense of smell to describe a computer, your sense of taste to describe a taxi cab. The best way for readers to recall what you’ve written is to be specific. My favorite example: Not “toy”, but “plastic Batman figure missing an arm.” If you find that when you focus on “being specific,” your inner-editor enters and stops your momentum, immediately disregard this rule.
WHEN YOU ARE DONE WRITING, FEEL A SENSE OF PRIDE: The goal of timed writings is to fill the time or the page. When you do this, allow yourself to feel proud; it’s a major accomplishment. Take it in, savor it, and use the momentum to write again as soon as possible. Do not let yourself negate your work or compare it to anyone else’s. These are momentum-killers and major steps on the path to writer’s block. Of all the rules, this is definitely the most important one.