How to Write Free

[fantasy_trance]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* In this thread, I'd like to discuss how to write free; and by "free", I mean "freely"- without inhibitions imposed on us by the doubts and insecurities in our mind. If we are world building, we can create realities in our stories unlike anything anyone's imagined before because each of our imaginations are different; they are unique results of our individual experiences and interests. With this information, there's no reason we should be limited in our craft, but often, doubts emerge in our heads that tell us things like, "This won't make sense," or "Nobody will like this,". It's not true and we can overcome this. *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

.・゜゜・Any ideas that come to you about your story throughout the day, you should write down in a little notebook or notepad even if you feel like they are not that good. I love to do this because I know later, I can look back on them and filter the ones I don't like and expand on the ones I do like, but the important element to understand in this process is that your decision is determined by your opinion and what you like; not anybody else's. We do want people to read our stories, but what makes a story enjoyable to read is when you can feel the author's excitement come through the page because they are realizing their vision. That is only achieved by expressing yourself; your true self uninhibited by what anyone else wants you to be or what anyone else thinks you should be writing instead. ・゜゜・．

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* When you write what you really want to write, your story comes to life. You are channeling your energy and your spirit into your words; it's something everyone can feel and something everyone can connect to. When you are writing to please someone else, you can't connect as well to your writing and the difference can be felt as well. *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

.・゜゜・We are writing fiction. Any idea goes. Anything can happen; fiction is free, unlimited, and an unrestricted tool to expand your imagination on paper and manifest it in reality. The imagination is powerful, valuable, and creates magic everywhere it is expressed. Your imagination is good and needed. ・゜゜・．

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Write the story that speaks to your soul. Write what moves you the most. You recognize that feeling when a story or character hits you; when it pulls you. Follow that feeling in your writing. You will learn more about yourself and share that special thing about you with the whole world. That is your power. Your power is you. *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

.・゜゜・Do not let the people of this world destroy your spirit; they will do it by telling you to suppress who you are. You are whole and your ideas are valuable. You have something to offer unlike anyone else. Always remember this when you write and you will learn to be free; truly free in everything. ・゜゜・．

• ｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

 

[Chasejxyz]

I mean...it depends on what your goals are. If your goal is to be as sellable as possible, then yeah, you NEED to not have things be "too weird" or out of touch with the market. Like if you have a story about a magic plague that decimates a kingdom, it could be the best story ever, but no one is going to have the appetite to read such a story right now (or for quite awhile). If you want a story that everyone on Wattpad will love, you'll have to write something based on what you know readers want to see.

But if you just want to write for YOURSELF and you don't plan on other people ever reading your stories, then yeah, you can write whatever you want. If you want other people to read, understand, and enjoy your stories, then you are going to have to make those executive decisions that will limit yourself.

 

[pmmg]

Well...I don't need the sparkles and purple prose....

But, I think writing free is not a bad way to get the rough draft done. It can all come out in an edit. I don't know that the problem for me is really freedom, but more the past writing on the same world has created limitations. I already shown that pigs don't fly, so I am not going to write them. But I might in another story. For me, it is really the idea that I can write things stronger, with more purpose, connected better to the story as a whole, and trail it off with a cool place to go that makes me feel the weight of what I am writing. Its really just an attitude of WTF and trust that I can fix it in the rewrite anyway, that lets me get past that and get words on page. Some times I have to cut or rewrite, but when I am in that phase, that is the easy part.

Words on page beats words in head.

Maybe one day I will write that story land fantasy where pigs do fly, and mushrooms are large, and pixies light up grassy fields with purple sparkles, but not today. Today, its just a PTSD girl with a lot of issues and the weight of the world pressing down. Rainbows don't fit with that in the current context.

 

[skip.knox]

I recognize that some people sruggle with self imposed constraints, and some have encountered external constraints, but it's not anything I've ever experienced. Ive had work critqued, of course, but that's different.

So, for me, all writing is free. The same as I'm free to draw or to make music. Art is inherently an act of freedom.