WRITING: an exasperation

One of the least favorite styles/genres of writing that I least liked to read in college lit classes was stream-of-conscious. Where a character's random thoughts often defy logic and time. But that's the way they re written and the reader has to do the sorting.

It's more fun to write than read that way. Before the days of easily available computers in the classroom, I had my students take a pencil or pen and write whatever came into their heads for one minute. If nothing came into their heads, they were to write that. By the end of that line, something would have popped in there. If not, they were to write that again. They couldn't stop writing. They had to push the pen or pencil or catch my stern glare. That was the object--not my glare--but to keep writing since writing is a somewhat physical task.

At the end of the one minute, they were to examine what they had written and circle something that they might write about and expand into one page. If they couldn't find something, then they were to repeat the one minute of free writing as it was called. And circle something they could develop.

It was a fun assignment. Some students actually wanted to read aloud their free writing. To share what was in their minds. It was fun to hear. Most of the time. Of course they were told to filter out anything not appropriate. But except for a few restrictions, they were unrestricted in their stream-of-conscious writing.

So, readers, give it a shot. It only takes one minute. See what's there. Just under the surface waiting to get out.

I won't be standing over you. I won't require a follow up assignment. I won't have you read yours aloud. But hey, you'll waste a lot more time today than that one minute. go ahead: it's fun.