Stream of Consciousness

[elfshadow]

Last year my English teacher introduced this concept to us. He had us listen to music and write whatever we felt like writing for fifteen minutes or so, and the only condition was that you couldn't stop and think about it, but the objective was to write whatever your brain told you to write. I was a little apprehensive at first, but after doing it I really liked the concept. So I thought I would introduce it here, because it's very interesting sometimes to see how people's subconscious is mirrored in their writing.

So, the (very flexible) rules...Take eight to ten minutes with a pen and a piece of paper and start writing. It's best if you're in a quiet place, and listening to music can help sometimes. If you feel comfortable, please share your writing with the rest of us (though if it's too personal it's perfectly okay not to share). Also, it would be interesting to see what kind of music people are listening to while they write, to see if it has any effects on their stream of consciousness, so it would be great if people could tell us what album/artist/song they were listening to as they wrote.

Hope this turns out well!! Keep in mind that you can write absolutely whatever you want, and my post is only one example. It doesn't have to be about real life, in fact the more interesting ones are just completely random. Just write!!

[elfshadow]

Okay, I'm going to start this out with my own Stream of Consciousness that I just did. I was listening to Simon and Garfunkle's Greatest Hits album, and the songs were "Mrs. Robinson", "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her," and "The Boxer."

I have a crick in my neck right now. I guess it's from sitting at the computer for so long. Oh geez, I've already started this thing out boring. I should make it more interesting. Rainbows. And flowers. And fluffy pink bunny unicorns. Wow those are some happy thoughts, it's too bad I don't feel as happy as the things I'm writing. But I don't want to be this depressing so I'll just write about some more happy things. Mmmm...chocolate is a happy thing. I really want to think some more happy thoughts right now, because there have been some unhappy things going on. Flowers. Rainbows. Catalyst (how is that happy?). I must be thinking chemistry but I'm not even taking chemistry. No, I'm taking physics and it's a waste of time if I ever saw one. But I'm not supposed to be complaining, I already complain too much, I'm supposed to think happy thoughts. Okay. Fluffy pink bunny unicorns. Kumbaya holding hands and sitting in a circle and sharing our feelings. Okay now this is starting to sound really sarcastic and bitter. I didn't want it to be so sarcastic. I'm trying to think happy thoughts. Clouds. Sunshine. Trees, forests, gardens, spring. I think this means I want winter to be over, but winter hasn't even started yet. I should be looking forward to all the happy snow and winterness, but I'm kind of getting sick of the cold. **** I'm complaining again. I really didn't want to be so bitchy. Oh well, I guess I'm in a caustic mood. Nog tood. Calming myself down now, deep breaths, breathe in breathe out. It's not working, maybe because my hand is so cramped from writing so much. Okay, I'm better now, though my neck hurts. And I can't seem to do anything but whine! Fine. Whatever.

[Rodia]

Great idea for a thread...and I have to say I Simon and Garfunkel.

I'll try this tonight, at home where I have my infallible winamp REM playlist.

[Dindraug]

I am expecte to do this everyday as part of my writing course.

The best time is first thing in the morning, before you are fully awake, just write for five or ten minutes. Use the tale end of dreams, or just the things around you. Most of the time you just produce muddle, but sometimes it is genius.

Also, its a wonderful way to wake up

[Faramond]

Is this thing on?

Look, there's a problem with stream of consciousness. Only the writer of the stream knows the ground from which it comes, but the writer isn't aware of that ground when he or she writes it, and so what we get is a random thing that we can't get ahold of.

I think there has to be lines put through it. Through the writing. To give those reading an idea of the shape, and to keep the writer honest as well. Writing is taking part of your sky and projecting it through complicated lenses onto a wall where other people can see it, and if done well enough it doesn't look like a wall at all but a new sky, and sometimes when it's really really good an alchemy takes the wall into the earth and three really is a new sky, and that's when the writing really sings. But songs need structure, you know? And they need creativity and bursts of randomness, but see the thing is it isn't really random, for nothing is when you see what it's connected up with and that's what the purest writing is like.

But, you know, stream of consciousness can work sometimes. You just need to have your mind focused when you do it. Not that you try to control what comes out, but where it comes out. You know five things can come into my mind in ten seconds, and I need to have the discipline to pick the right one else the stream will falter and I will lose my lines and the sky will fragment like a false reality.

Okay, I'm done.