Welcome
John William Tuohy lives in Washington DC
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Read, read, read. Read everything
Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window.— William Faulkner.
'72-year-old bookseller
'72-year-old bookseller, living in Rabat, Morocco, spends 6 to 8 hours a day reading books. Having read over 5000 books in French, he remains the oldest bookseller in Rabat, spending more than 43 years in the same location.
When asked about leaving his books unattended outside, where they could potentially be stolen, Mohamed responded that those who can’t read don’t steal books, and those who can, aren’t thieves.'
stream of consciousness writinh
Virginia Woolf
To effectively engage in
stream of consciousness writing, it's essential to create an environment that
allows your mind to wander and your creativity to flourish. Here are some tips
for preparing yourself for stream of consciousness writing:
1. Find a quiet and comfortable space:
Choose a quiet and comfortable space where you
can be alone and undisturbed. This could be a room in your home, a quiet spot
in a park, or a secluded spot in a café.
2. Eliminate distractions:
Turn off your phone, close your email, and
shut down any social media notifications. The aim is to create an environment
free from external distractions.
3. Choose the right time:
Pick a time of day when you are most alert and
creative. For some, this might be first thing in the morning; for others, it
might be in the evening after work.
4. Prepare your tools:
Gather your writing tools, whether that be a
pen and notebook, a laptop, or a voice recorder. Having everything you need at
hand will help you to focus on the task at hand.
5. Create a ritual:
Create a ritual or routine to help you get
into the writing mindset. This could involve meditation, stretching, or a cup
of tea.
James Joyce
Freewriting is a technique
used in stream of consciousness writing that involves writing continuously
without stopping or editing. This technique can be a powerful tool for
unlocking creativity and accessing the unconscious mind. Here's how to do it:
1. Choose a prompt:
Choose a prompt or topic to write about. This
could be anything from a single word to a phrase or a question.
2. Set a timer:
Set a timer for a predetermined amount of
time. This could be anywhere from five to 20 minutes.
3. Write continuously:
Write continuously without stopping or
editing. Don't worry about structure, grammar, or coherence. Simply write down
whatever comes to mind.
4. Keep writing:
If you get stuck or run out of things to
write, simply write "keep writing" or "I don't know what to
write" until the next thought comes to mind.
Using Stream of Consciousness
Writing for Self-Discovery
Jack Kerouac
Stream of consciousness
writing can be a powerful tool for creative writing, allowing you to tap into
your creativity and access your unconscious mind. Here are some tips for using
stream of consciousness writing for creative writing:
1. Use prompts:
Writing prompts can be a helpful tool for
generating ideas and inspiration for your creative writing. Choose prompts that
inspire you and allow yourself to explore them deeply.
2. Write quickly:
Write as quickly as possible to keep up with
your stream of consciousness. This will allow you to capture the spontaneous
flow of your thoughts and emotions.
3. Allow yourself to be vulnerable:
Allow yourself to be vulnerable and explore
difficult emotions and experiences in your writing. This can add depth and
authenticity to your creative writing.
4. Don't worry about structure:
Don't worry about structure or coherence in
your stream of consciousness writing. Allow your thoughts and emotions to flow
freely onto the page.
5. Use your senses:
Use sensory language and imagery to bring your
writing to life. This can help to engage your reader and create a vivid and
immersive experience.
Using Stream of Consciousness
Writing for Personal Growth
William Faulkner
Stream of consciousness
writing can be a powerful tool for personal growth and development, allowing
you to explore your inner thoughts and emotions and gain insight into your life
experiences. Here are some tips for using stream of consciousness writing for
personal growth:
1. Write about your goals:
Write about your personal and professional
goals and explore the thoughts and emotions that surround them. This can help
you to gain clarity and focus on what's important to you.
2. Write about your values:
Write about your core values and beliefs and
explore how they impact your thoughts and actions. This can help you to gain
greater self-awareness and live a more authentic life.
3. Write about your relationships:
Write about your relationships with others and
explore the thoughts and emotions that surround them. This can help you to gain
insight into your patterns of behavior and communication.
4. Write about your fears:
Write about your fears and explore the
thoughts and emotions that accompany them. This can help you to develop greater
resilience and overcome your fears.
5. Reflect on your writing:
After completing your stream of consciousness
writing, take some time to reflect on what you've written. Consider what it
reveals about your thoughts, emotions, and experiences, and use this insight to
guide your personal growth and development.
Marcel Proust
Incorporating stream of
consciousness writing into your daily routine can be a powerful tool for
self-reflection and personal growth. Here are some tips for making stream of
consciousness writing a part of your daily routine:
1. Schedule time for writing:
Set aside a specific time each day for stream
of consciousness writing. This could be first thing in the morning, during your
lunch break, or before bed.
2. Create a writing space:
Create a comfortable and inviting space for
writing. This could be a dedicated writing desk, a cozy corner of your home, or
even a park bench.
3. Use writing prompts:
Use writing prompts to guide your writing and
provide inspiration. Choose prompts that resonate with you and allow yourself
to explore them deeply.
4. Keep a journal:
Keep a dedicated journal for your stream of
consciousness writing. This can help you to track your progress and see
patterns in your writing over time.
5. Experiment with different techniques:
(William Faulkner Writing
Examples)
Jack Kerouac’s Essentials of Spontaneous Prose
1. SET-UP
The object is set before the
mind, either in reality. as in sketching (before a landscape or teacup or old
face) or is set in the memory wherein it becomes the sketching from memory of a
definite image-object.
2. PROCEDURE
Time being of the essence in
the purity of speech, sketching language is undisturbed flow from the mind of
personal secret idea-words, blowing (as per jazz musician) on subject of image.
3. METHOD
No periods separating
sentence-structures already arbitrarily riddled by false colons and timid
usually needless commas-but the vigorous space dash separating rhetorical
breathing (as jazz musician drawing breath between outblown
phrases)--"measured pauses which are the essentials of our
speech"--"divisions of the sounds we hear"-"time and how to
note it down." (William Carlos Williams)
4. SCOPING
Not "selectivity' of
expression but following free deviation (association) of mind into limitless
blow-on-subject seas of thought, swimming in sea of English with no discipline
other than rhythms of rhetorical exhalation and expostulated statement, like a
fist coming down on a table with each complete utterance, bang! (the space
dash)-Blow as deep as you want-write as deeply, fish as far down as you want,
satisfy yourself first, then reader cannot fail to receive telepathic shock and
meaning-excitement by same laws operating in his own human mind.
5. LAG IN PROCEDURE
No pause to think of proper
word but the infantile pileup of scatological buildup words till satisfaction
is gained, which will turn out to be a great appending rhythm to a thought and
be in accordance with Great Law of timing.
6. TIMING
Nothing is muddy that runs in
time and to laws of time-Shakespearian stress of dramatic need to speak now in
own unalterable way or forever hold tongue-no revisions (except obvious
rational mistakes, such as names or calculated insertions in act of not writing
but inserting).
7. CENTER OF INTEREST
Begin not from preconceived
idea of what to say about image but from jewel center of interest in subject of
image at moment of writing, and write outwards swimming in sea of language to
peripheral release and exhaustion-Do not afterthink except for poetic or P. S.
reasons. Never afterthink to "improve" or defray impressions, as, the
best writing is always the most painful personal wrung-out tossed from cradle
warm protective mind-tap from yourself the song of yourself, blow!-now!-your
way is your only way-"good"-or "bad"-always honest
("ludi- crous"), spontaneous, "confessionals' interesting,
because not "crafted." Craft is craft.
8. STRUCTURE OF WORK
Modern bizarre structures
(science fiction, etc.) arise from language being dead, "different"
themes give illusion of "new" life. Follow roughly outlines in
outfanning movement over subject, as river rock, so mindflow over jewel-center
need (run your mind over it, once) arriving at pivot, where what was dim-formed
"beginning" becomes sharp-necessitating "ending" and
language shortens in race to wire of time-race of work, following laws of Deep
Form, to conclusion, last words, last trickle-Night is The End.
9. MENTAL STATE
If possible write
"without consciousness" in semi-trance (as Yeats' later "trance
writing") allowing subconscious to admit in own uninhibited interesting
necessary and so "modern" language what conscious art would censor,
and write excitedly, swiftly, with writing-or-typing-cramps, in accordance (as
from center to periphery) with laws of orgasm, Reich's "beclouding of
consciousness." Come from within, out-to relaxed and said.
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