Free Write

I forgot the glory of free writing! The process, though not much of a "process," of sitting down and writing, unhindered, whatever comes to mind. Grammar, spelling, and logical sequence of words may be torn asunder in a free write. It's glorious!

I tutor an eight year old boy in reading and spelling three days a week. This boy would rather have a tooth pulled than read, and I dare not mention his loathe for writing. Lucky me. I am always trying to think of new ways to get him excited about reading, at the very least reading. And I had accepted the small writing assignments as a fierce battle I will always have to face. Until yesterday.

There have been a few times in the past when Mac has received a spark of inspiration and has written a very short story for me to read to the high school girls in my Sunday school class. So every once in a while I can bribe a story out of him that way. Yesterday I suggested a free write and he was excited about it! I was so excited that I decided to do it with him, which increased his willingness all the more. What a blessing! Unfortunately, Mac's free write is not worth sharing. . . But this is what came of my free write:

I want to go to the beach so badly. When the sun sets over that mass of blue, creating millions of sparkling diamonds, my heart feels content, and so full. And I know that there is a huge God who really loves me. The road before me lies bent and winding. Curving around unknown bends, dipping and revealing pockets of unexpected sunlight. The dappled kind that makes a patchwork quilt on the forest floor.
Espen and I went to the library today and learned about mice and played with bubbles. I love starting my day with a room full of preschoolers. They laugh and jump and sing. Espen and I danced to the music during story time and he got a stamp with mice on his hand. But he smeared it off. I don't know why.

Try free writing! It will unleash the contents of your soul. This was written with the knowledge that I would be reading it to Mac, but you would be surprised at what can come from an unhindered free write!