Photo by Infralist.com on Unsplash
In my Day 1 post, I emphasized how knowing your story's essence helps craft an engaging narrative. It's what you want to express, combined with universal story patterns, to create a unique tale your readers will love. But how do you nail down your story's essence if you're not quite sure what it is yet?
One powerful way to uncover this essence—and accomplish much more—is through writing practice. Over the next few posts, I'll explore this fundamental tool that anyone can use to improve their writing and storytelling.
So, what is writing practice? It's a timed exercise where you write continuously without stopping to edit or cross out. You start with a specific topic but allow your mind to wander. The key? Ignore punctuation, grammar, and spelling—for now. Revision comes later.
I learned this technique from Natalie Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones and her workshops in New Mexico. It was at one of these workshops that I met my writing partner, TC. Twenty-one years later, we're still writing together every Sunday evening. (More on that in a future post!)
Writing practice serves multiple purposes for me:
A brain dump to clear my mind before work
A playground for exploration and free association
A problem-solving and drafting tool
A method for revision
The beauty of writing practice is its simplicity. All you need is a pen, paper, and 10 minutes to get started.
Now, you might be wondering: Isn't this just a distraction from my work in progress? Isn't it resistance? Not at all—and in the next post, I'll show you why writing practice is a valuable investment in your craft, not a detour.
Stay tuned to discover the surprising benefits of this powerful technique!