It’s very easy sometimes to fall into predictable patterns with our writing. We start something new initiated, perhaps, from a free-writing exercise and we just see where the pen leads us. This is, of course, what free-writing is all about: writing without inhibition, self-censorship or concern for trifling first-draft issues such as layout and spelling, which can be dealt with later. Our aim with a free-write is to get words on the page. Making them good words can come later.

But also think about what you like to read. Most of us, whether consciously or not, start to build expectations about where a story is going from the very first page, the first paragraph or even the first line. This happens while you are writing too – you start to speculate, and the most obvious ideas tend to come first. When you read, do you like to be able to predict the course of a story, or do you like to be taken somewhere unexpected? For most of us, it’s the latter, so maybe sometimes first thoughts aren’t best.

When I free-write, I tend to write for short bursts, just to get something down. A scenario that hints at some conflict, perhaps, or sketches out a character, or to evoke a setting and atmosphere. Once that’s done, I break off and take stock. This is a good stage to introduce a bit of interrogation, to play around with questions and make yourself identify which are the obvious paths and which are the more unexpected turns the piece could take.

Below is a very early draft from a free-writing exercise. As a piece of writing it’s… ok, but a bit bland; the characters are rather wishy-washy and as a reader, I’m not sure whether I want to read on, whether I really care yet. But that’s allowed because it’s a first draft and we’re now going to take it somewhere more exciting. (You might want to use the below in an exercise, or apply the same process to something you have written instead, whatever you prefer.)

Free-writing example:

That was the moment everything changed, when Felix bit into a sandwich. Jenny noticed it first, the devious curls of crispy bacon peeking out between fronds of lettuce and slices of tomato. Jenny stared, not sure at first that she was seeing right. Felix – eating bacon?

Stuart was talking in his usual, heated and erratic way about something apparently important, hands gesturing wildly and it took him a few moments to pick up that something was wrong. He rolled to a stop, watching Jenny, then turned, following her gaze, to look at Felix, who was chewing, a dark expression on his face.

Felix had been a militant vegetarian for seven years. In fact it had been why the three had met in the first place.

The Exercise:

What questions could we ask about this piece in terms of location, situation and character?

Get the obvious ones out of the way to clear your view, and then keep going, into increasingly unexpected or specific territory.

For example, to answer the question, ‘Where is this taking place?’ I’d say the obvious answers are in a cafe, or someone’s kitchen table.

So, what would be more inventive? How about they’re on one of the character’s narrowboat. Or maybe they’re cyclists or bikers at a roadside kiosk.

Notice how by getting more inventive and specific about the location we’re also starting to learn more about the characters too, which in turn will help us develop the situation. We find ourselves being led on to other questions, for example, ‘Whose narrowboat is it? Where is it moored? How come these three people are eating sandwiches together there?

Again, sidestep the obvious and in your answers to these new questions, look for something more original.

When you feel you’ve spent enough time batting questions and answers around to give you a new slant on the piece, get yourself a fresh piece of paper and start the story again. I recommend you don’t just try to tweak the existing draft since that will tug you back to the more staid and obvious.

Instead, armed with what you know now about the people, location and situation, start the story fresh, so that every word is in tune with what you have discovered.

Mollie Baxter 2010

You are welcome to use these exercises in your writing group or class. I just ask that you acknowledge the source i.e. verbally and on the handout if you use one. I’d also love it if you would let me know how it went!

Do feel free to post any responses or extracts of writing that you have written, but bear in mind that I am unable to give any feedback in this forum. Please see details on my freelance teaching or one-to-one mentoring. Thanks for reading!

Tags: free-writing, interrogation, Wordsparks! Free writing exercises.

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