May 15, 2012

Writing With Your Heart


"No thinking - that comes later. You write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!" -Sean Connery as William Forrester


Two posts ago I quoted Stephen King saying that the most important advice he could give up and coming writers is to simply "Read a lot, and write a lot." Sage advice. Simple, laconic, direct. But it leaves some people wondering how, why, or what the thought process behind that may be. Watching "Finding Forrester" the other day for the first time in a long time and hearing the above quote was like a light bulb flipping on in my head. The perfect way to explain simply...writing, and why it is the first key to writing.


Though King is very terse in his advice to aspiring writers he has said much more on the subject that is often overlooked. And that much more is that writing without the passion, without the heart, without the creativity is often choppy and lacking. It doesn't flow properly. The only method that flows is creating that direct stream to your subconscious, the story that you want to come out. But that stream doesn't flow from your head, it flows from your heart.

"It’s head down, bum up during the creative process. Go with the flow. Let the inspiration work its magic. Later when it’s all down on paper it’s time to turn on the analytical parts of the brain and examine what’s good and what’s, well…that’s what the backspace key is for." -Stephen King

If there's no inspiration, just freaking go with it anyway! If you can let your heart take over and scribble down what comes to mind on instinct, without mulling it over or trying to improve it, you've successfully made that connection to your subconscious. It's when you try to plan and plan and rewrite before you even write that you can end up blocking yourself. Because you've stopped up that stream to your subconscious! All over-thinking does is screw up, tire, and discourage a writer as he's creating a story. "I've given up thinking - it keeps getting me into trouble." -King

Stephen King is a major success as a commercial writer. He's pushed out more bestseller's, had more books sold, and more books made into movies than nearly any other modern day writer. But King and Forrester aren't the only ones who agree on writing from the heart. Dorothea Brande, Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, and many others feel the same.

Dean Koontz said this in an interview: "If you give yourself entirely to intuition but then bring hard intellectual analysis to what the intuition produces, you'll be okay." And age old editors and writers alike believe that the single best piece of advice to young writers is simply to write. Article: Single best piece of writing advice - Harper Lee, John Steinback, Carl Sandburg weigh in

If you get nothing else from this article, remember simply that the first key to writing is to write. And the best way to do this is to do so without thinking; to trust your intuition, your subconscious, your heart, and let it take you away.

"When asked, 'How do you write?' I invariably answer, 'One word at a time.'" -Stephen King

23 comments:

Unknown said...

I've been exploring your site. It is very informative. I'm visiting and following from Link Referral. Hope you'll check out my site. Thanks. Donna

http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Look at descriptive essay for understanding how to write properly

J. Michael Joslin said...

The quote from Finding Forrester is a favorite quote of mine. I built an old fashioned lap top writing desk for when I choose to sit outside and write. Inside the lid is a piece of paper with that quote taped to it. I write historical fiction. My first published book, Thank God for Michigan, I told the story of my 2nd great granfather, who served with the 24th Michigan in the Civil War. It is full of facts, which have to be accurate, but his thoughts, emotions, his reactions in battle were based on how I would have reacted were I to have experienced all that he did. My second published book was less historical, but more a, shall we say for lack of a better description, flight of fancy? It is set during the time of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, or what was known as Bloody Kansas, but I only used that to set the time period I was writing about, and certain events that led to my lead character's story. I was once asked if I use an outline when I write. I answered no, as I could never make one work. Instead, I come up with an idea I want to write about, and once I have that I sit down to write. With idea in mind, and pencil in hand, somehow, I am not quite sure how, words come from my mind, travel down my arm, into my hand and fingers, and my pencil starts to move. I had no idea where the story would take me. I did not even know who the character names would be, and most certainly did not know how it would all end, and did not know until I began that chapter. Risky, yes, but I felt such freedom as I wrote it. So, in a way, I was doing what Forrester instructed. I wrote my first draft with my heart, I rewrote it (several times) with my head. Surprising how liberating that can be. I still do not understand where all if it came from. The human brain is amazing and so complicated. I have had people say to me, "I wish I could write." My response was always the same. If you wish to write, sit down with pencil and paper (or whatever you choose to record it on) and just write the first word. It is a beginning, and if you are meant to write, the rest of the words will follow.

Adams Young said...

I admire this article for the well-researched content and excellent wording. I got so involved in this material that I couldn’t stop reading. I am impressed with your work and skill. Thank you so much. charactercount.org

James Herry said...

Most of the students have no time to submit thier assignment on the giving deadline.We have a team of an expert writers,that is available on 24 hours to help students.We are offering custom assignment help service for the students at a cheap price.

John said...

This is the unique thought process that I read for the first time because every other writer says to think before writing but I guess you also have a valid point. However; for writing assignments you can’t write with your heart and need to use your brain or can just Buy Assignment Help.

Unknown said...

Great post!I have read all the content of this post.We offer an online Gifts to pakistan service as well as Send gifts to pakistan to the lovers,couple at an affordable and reasonable price.

james said...

Great post!I have reading this last night.It was really helpful and informative for me.We are offering an online men brands in pakistan as well as clothing website to the people at a cheap price.

Larry said...

Impressive! Thank you for your post. This is an article that may be of great assistance to you in learning about color blindness in electrical engineering. If you suspect you are colorblind, you can test your color vision online. Thank you very much.

Treat Assignment Help - UK's Best Assignment Assistance Service Providers said...

hello, i am clara felix working as a tutor, i read this website for assignment writing and it help me in my work. if you ask me for any website to recommend then i will recommend this website.Are you stuck in writing an MBA assignment? Struggling to meet the expectations of your professor? Worry no more, as Assignment Helpers are here to help complete your assignments with the utmost quality. Read more at Tips To Write Top-Notch MBA Assignments

Travis said...

I am grateful to the owner of this site who really shares this wonderful work of this site. That is actually great and useful information. A Twenty-sided die known as an icosahedron, with faces inscribed with Greek letters. This is the best dice for playing the game. Visit it and let us know what you think.

Ryan Fernando said...

This article was insightful and well-researched. I learned a lot from reading it! Backlight bleed can be more noticeable in darker environments or when displaying dark content, such as movies or video games. Go through this article to know more about Backlight Bleed Test.

George Carne said...

I'm grateful for this article's simplicity and clarity. It's refreshing to read something that gets straight to the point without any unnecessary jargon. A proactive approach to addressing color vision deficiencies involves testing and validating designs with simulation tools, seeking feedback from users with different color vision abilities, and continuously iterating to achieve optimal accessibility and usability. Using this article you will get information about Strategies for color vision deficiencies.

Elvis said...

Your passion for the subject shines through in your writing. This auto clicker is a lifesaver for repetitive tasks! unmissable visit.

assignment help said...

Are you a student struggling with your accounting assignments? Do complex financial statements and balance sheets make you break into a cold sweat? Don't worry; you're not alone. Many students find accounting assignments help challenging and overwhelming. In this article, we will explore the world of Accounting Assignment help services and how they can assist you in mastering this intricate subject. Professional accounting assignment help services employ experienced experts who can provide guidance and clarify doubts related to accounting concepts. They can simplify complex topics and make them easier to understand. Every student's learning style and needs are unique. Assignment help services offer customized solutions tailored to individual requirements, ensuring that students receive the assistance they need. accounting assignment help services can be a lifeline for students struggling with the complexities of accounting assignments help. They offer expert guidance, customized solutions, and the opportunity to improve academic performance while reducing stress. When choosing a service, consider factors like expertise, customization, timely delivery, customer reviews, and pricing to make an informed decision.

5Güner said...

van
erzincan
sivas
ağrı
manisa
03H

Almila said...

görüntülü show
ücretlishow
N4H3K

ElectricWandererYOLG said...

Çorlu Lojistik
Manisa Lojistik
Eskişehir Lojistik
Afyon Lojistik
Konya Lojistik
BK6ZİK

072C3Karissa19C59 said...

7A628
Elazığ Şehirler Arası Nakliyat
Tokat Lojistik
Niğde Lojistik
Mardin Parça Eşya Taşıma
Ankara Fayans Ustası
Yalova Evden Eve Nakliyat
Bartın Şehirler Arası Nakliyat
Adıyaman Parça Eşya Taşıma
Kırıkkale Evden Eve Nakliyat

DA57CRyanFE98E said...

4EB0B
%20 binance indirim kodu

5819AAlexia8A4E1 said...

EED2B
karaman rastgele görüntülü sohbet
denizli en iyi görüntülü sohbet uygulaması
afyon mobil sohbet chat
Kırşehir Canlı Görüntülü Sohbet
kırşehir ücretsiz görüntülü sohbet uygulamaları
ankara görüntülü sohbet siteleri
kırıkkale canli goruntulu sohbet siteleri
niğde canlı sohbet sitesi
aydın mobil sohbet siteleri

19EDBJoe16659 said...

285E7
ledger live web
bitbox
web arculus wallet
web ledger live wallet
wallet trust
web ellipal wallet
web3 ronin
arbitrum
ledger

david hude said...

"Writing with your heart unlocks the true essence of storytelling, as echoed by Sean Connery's character in 'Finding Forrester'. Let intuition guide your pen, for the first key to writing is simply to write."
As a student based in London, New Assignment Help's Assignment Help service has been a game-changer for me. Their team of experts provides unparalleled support and assistance, helping me tackle even the most daunting assignments with confidence. The assignment help in London offered by New Assignment Help is comprehensive and tailored to meet the unique needs of students like me. What impresses me the most is their dedication to meeting tight deadlines without compromising on quality. Thanks to their assistance, I've been able to excel in my studies and achieve academic success. I highly recommend their services to any UK student seeking reliable assignment help.

Post a Comment