A writing exercise for summer, part 2

I’ve recently fallen back in love with the idea of writing without any particular goal in mind. Naturally, we writers have to stay focused on our goals if we ever want to accomplish anything — yet at the same time, being too strict about writing can limit the reaches of our work. So this summer I’ve made an effort to spend a little time each day, or at least each week, on writing for no “productive” purpose whatsoever. It’s been not only enlightening but fun — and I’m glad it’s become a regular part of my writing practice again.

Give it a try. It will not only help remind you that writing is joyful (often hard to remember when cranking through a first draft), but it will also allow for the free flow of ideas — and this, in turn, will do wonders for your projects, and you’ll end up meeting those goals anyway.

In the spirit of writing for no reason, I’ll offer an exercise from the recent issue of my free e-newsletter for writers. Take a notebook; leave your house;  sit and write. Do this at least once a week, and do it for no fewer than twenty minutes. It doesn’t matter if you go to a cafe on the other side of town or to a lawn chair in your backyard: The important thing is that you step away from your life and into your writing. You can go with something specific to work on, but it’s even better if you make this a time for generating ideas, for letting your mind be free.

Happy writing.