Stream of Consciousness Writing

I’ve been asked what I mean by a stream of consciousness writing. I mean awareness. I mean what you are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling? What are you thinking?

By way of an example look below:

The stream of consciousness - eyes closed listening sensory awareness 9.21.06 2:30 PM

Sitting in the Home Depot® parking lot in Hilo, Hawaii. The sun is too bright . The sky is a brilliant blue. White puffy clouds dot the span of blue and bands of distant clouds march across the horizon. I close my eyes. It’s a bit too warm, but there is a trade wind breeze from the direction of the bay. I’m listening to the noise of traffic, noticing the smells of gasoline, hot plastic, and exhaust fumes. There are sounds. I’m hearing the peaks of voices and the faint rumble of unheard word parts beneath. Light traffic noises. Marilyn arrives. I open my eyes. She has returned to the truck with an unhappy expression and empty hands. She didn’t find the right towel rack.

We drive over to Wal Mart® and in this new location there are more sounds of more cars. It is a bigger parking lot. It is very busy, nearly full. Here with my eyes closed, I hear the noises of cars traveling over a loose drain cover. Click click. Click click. Click click. There is a subdued rumble, some undistinguishable noises from the direction of the bay. A car motor stars up nearby. More deep rumbling. Click click. Click click. I know there is a car audio shop in that direction that turns vehicles into amp system sub-woofers. Rattle rattle. Rattle rattle. There is the subliminal hiss of tires from the traffic on the highway. Click click. Click click. Beep beep. A car horn. Beep beep.

Rattle and rumble rumble. The assassination of breeze passing through leaves of the nearby tree is accompanied by the slurp slurp storm of sandals from a passing family. The whir of an electric fan on a now still motor. The tire shish of a car passing by, and reverb sounds cover a song broadcast by a small passing truck.

There is the background rattle of a big diesel. Vague car radio sounds. Rattle rattle. Click click. Click click. Acceleration of a car away from my location. Rattle rattle. Click click. Click click. A Security Cart passing. The chuckle chuckle of a wobbling shopping cart wheel. I open my eyes. Patter pat, patter pat of noisy valve lifters in a metallic purple mini van. The buzz from a passing Honda® exhaust. Marilyn is approaching with a smile and a bag in hand. She’s found an acceptable towel rack.

***

This kind of writing can, obviously be done anywhere. Not just in exotic locations like Hawaii.

As an exercise, it is mostly valuable as a method of getting the word flow flowing. Think of it like water from a garden hose. First you turn on the valve, getting water flow. Then you can squeeze the handle to get the kind of spray you want and also at that time you can direct the spray in the direction you want and water the plants that need it.

Getting the picture? You are a writer. You want and need to write. That means you need a flow of words jumping out of your brain consciousness onto paper, or into computer memory. You have to learn to turn on the valve that controls, allows, and generates word flow.

(c) Copyright 2006: George Wallace recently published a book on religion which lashes out at nearly all of the comfortable ideas about God, the trappings of organized religion, and the priesthood. His pithy comments and suggestions for a return to a God-centered personal religion will interest everyone. This article may be freely reprinted so long as all copyright attributions, and the full content of this resource box are included. www.OhGodIsThatYou.com

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