@mariannewest and @freewritehouse

have given us a fantastic way to get into the habit of writing, freely, and often. With @snook, @byn, and more names than I can shake out of my peppered memory, #Five-Minute-Freewrite delivers a daily prompt and a reminder to set the timer for five minutes, start writing, and don't stop, DON'T STOP, don't edit, don't agonize over the right word choice or the right spelling; just GO, go, go, GO. After time's up you can proofread, edit, expand, find that gold nugget in the stream of murky prose, and refine it into a story that shines.

@coinsandchains

inspired me to write this after he replied to one of my "Five Minute" (cough, cough) Freewrites:

Now I need some lessons from you.... I clicked on this and it said 5 minute free write, the lesson I need is how to turn something like this out, I'll even settle for under a half hour. That would be completely awesome for me.

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I replied,

Good news, @coinsandchains! I am a fraud!

Sometimes I remember to indicate the point in the story where the timer went off. I don't write whole stories in five minutes. A few paragraphs - then I keep going, and then revising, revising, revising. Thank you so much for the kind words!!

@coinsandchains replied,

lol, that is what I figured happens, I guess it's a good way to get started writing.
What's even funnier, Mine would look like. "well, I think.... (5 min timer) that I will write about something...."

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That's a fine way to start! Honest!

See Julie Cameron's book "The Artist's Way" - she urges artists (it works for writers too!) to write, freehand, 3 pages, first thing every morning, NONSTOP, even if it means writing "well, I think.... (5 min timer) that I will write about something...." and "I haven't thought of anything yet," but that will be a lie, because you've noticed the lighting on the furniture by now, or the total darkness broken only by your reading light under the covers so as not to wake your spouse, or the pain in your back is better with this new pillow, or you're trying to suppress a sneeze so as to keep from waking your spouse... by now a story is emerging: all the things you do to keep from disturbing your spouse.... ;) ... you'll be surprised what happens when you freewrite, not stopping to edit, remember the right spelling, or pause in search of the right word. Just spill it out.

The Artist's Way: 25th Anniversary Edition by Julia Cameron

This international bestseller has inspired millions to overcome the limiting beliefs and fears that inhibit the creative process.

Perhaps even more vital in today's cultural climate than when it was first published, The Artist's Way is a powerfully provocative and inspiring work. In it, Julia Cameron takes readers on an amazing twelve-week journey to discover the inextricable link between their spiritual and creative selves.

A revolutionary program for artistic renewal, The Artist's Way is a life-changing book. This 25th anniversary edition includes a new introduction from the author.

The more you write, the more like a weightlifter

or athlete your brain becomes; "the more reps" you do, the faster your output builds up. Make freewriting a habit, and you'll free up your imagination, unshackles those restraints and inhibitions, and let your creativity run free.

If you don't like where your unshackled imagination goes, you don't have to share your dark side with us. But that doesn't stop @negativer, the writer I love to chastise for all his lurid, dark imaginings, which he manages to inflict on me because his prose is so damn good I just can't not read it.

source

So many of us at Steemit

have expanded on the 5-minute #freewrite scribblings we jotted down, developed them into stories, submitted them to a workshop (see @isleofwrite and @thewriterblock, and I don't know who all else!), gotten feedback to use or lose, and free editing and proofreading from volunteers -- and some of us have published these stories. E.g.

Grimmest Things by Honey Due

A liar. A lover. A cheat. A man lost to his inner demons. An innocent girl. The Devil himself. A ghost. A mother. Some of the people you will meet along the way belong in darkness, a few of them in light. Much like in life. But regardless of where they belong, they all deserve to have their stories told.... I believe that with many of these stories, the characters are telling their own tales, so in a way, this is an anthology. An anthology of lives.

See @mariannewest's comments on

The Newest Published Author

I am happy beyond belief to tell you all that @honeydue is now officially a published author!!
Congratulations!!!!
Now, let's show her that we, the Freewriters, indeed are a community!! In this blog post she is telling us how.
--buy her book
--leave a review
--Like her Facebook page
--Tweet about it
I hope many of you will do at least one action.
If you are publishing a book inspired by your Freewriting experience (or otherwise) let us know so we all can help each other!!

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Twitter and Facebook sharing and promoting

can bring more eyes to your stories long after Steemit's 7-day window for Resteems has expired. I frequently share Steemit posts outside of Steemit. E.g.,

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I also host writing contests,

usually with myself as the judge, e.g.

I met @sarez as a result of that contest. He won with Silver Heels Work Always! After that, he invited to join him in a #we-write, and it was so much fun, he invited me to another, and then another. Three stories I never would have written had I not met @sarez via #freewritehouse and by hosting a "just for fun" writing contest!

We-Write Version 2.0

Prompt: smooth as silk
@sarez started :
Smooth as Silk Part One and @carolkean finished:
Smooth as Silk Part Two

Contests by our Fellow Freewriters

If you are running a contest let @mariannewest know. She will list it. E.g.,

@felt.buzz is hosting an ongoing writing contest on zappl!! If you don't know what that is, here is your chance to learn another application to the blockchain. Please check his profile for the latest contest post.
@improv is the master of puns! Enter his Punday contest at his profile @improv.
The Constrained Writing Contest by our fellow freewriter @svashta is on! Check his blog for the latest contest.

So, "I can't think of anything" is no excuse

not to write. Just start freewriting, nonstop, daily, or when stuck at your offspring's awful middle-school band concert. My programs were filled with scribblings as I jotted down ideas that came to me while held hostage at--I mean, while privileged to attend!--school concerts.

No, I didn't save them all, nor do I write even a fraction of the stories that unfold in my head while sitting somewhere listening to music, or pulling weeds, walking dogs, or any time, any place my mind is free to wander.

In first grade in 1968,

Mrs. Hoffman spanked me for that and noted on my report card that Carol might be a good student if she didn't let her mind wander out of the classroom all the time.

Yes, spanking was common, back then.

She never did beat it out of me, however. She just became the evil witch in assorted fairy tales that unfolded in my mind.

Freewriting is a fantastic way

to unleash those old demons locked away in the file cabinets of your brain.

Go on, let them out!

And do share them with us, if you feel so brave! We won't bite. More likely, we'll love you and welcome you the isle, the freewritehouse, the block, or wherever you find partners in crime and willing victims to read you. Visit any of the daily prompts for "rules" and guidelines. E.g., Day 325 : 5 Minute Freewrite: Sunday - Prompt: whipping cream:

Prompt: (new every day)

-- Set your timer for 5 minutes
-- Start writing
-- Use the hashtag #freewrite and #freewritepoetry if it turns out to be poetry
-- Publish your piece (include a link to this post if you wish)
-- Copy and paste your URL into the comment section of the prompt post.

-- If you don't know what a freewrite is, here is a link to the introduction post.

Here is @snook's excellent tutorial on how to join our freewrite adventure

And @improv's input:

Two things I do a little differently. I just type "timer" into google and it pops up a 5-minute timer. I also type directly into steemit. I also rarely use a photo, don't I? So that's three things.

Please read, comment and vote

(if you have voting power) on each others freewrites as much as you can. Especially if you are new to the platform, you will be surprised how many friendships are formed by reading and commenting on each other's work!

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Every Freewrite post is packed with information, e.g.

@ntowl has started a new business here on Steemit you might be interested in. She is offering editing and formatting services for your posts at a very reasonable price.
Our fellow freewriter @arbitrarykitten has a business here on Steemit. Several editors are offering to edit and format your post for a small fee. Check out their intro post
Our discord channel Isle of Write has workshop rooms for fiction, non-fiction, and poetry where some of the experienced writers might be able to give some tips. Join with this link https://discord.gg/zfXNRnK

art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics

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Until next time,

Keangaroo

because Kean sounds like Kane (not keen, hint, hint)

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Let's Fry Chicken Little nominated for 2015 Pushcart Award