Automatic Writing: A Beginner’s Guide

If you’re looking to explore the depths of your consciousness and better understand your ideas and emotions, automatic writing, also known as stream-of-consciousness writing, might be for you. This type of writing is characterised by a continuous flow of thoughts and ideas without interruption or editing. This is sometimes a challenging and overwhelming process but can also be incredibly rewarding. By allowing yourself to write whatever comes to mind, you can gain valuable insights into your own thoughts and emotions.

What Is Automatic Writing?

Automatic writing seeks to capture the mindset and sentiments of the writer as they flow through their mind. It is often considered a more natural and unedited form of writing, as it seeks to capture the thoughts and feelings as they occur – without the need for editing or revision. This type of writing can explore the inner workings of the mind and can be used as a tool for self-discovery. You can use it to put complex ideas and your feelings about them into words.

How Automatic Writing Works

Automatic writing captures the thought process as well as the emotions of the writer as they occur in real time. It is often used as a tool for exploring one’s own thoughts and emotions and can be a helpful way to process and make sense of difficult experiences.

It Makes Everything Easy

There are no strict rules for automatic writing, but a few things can make it easier to start. First, it can be helpful to set a timer for a specific length of time and just write without stopping. This can help prevent the mind from getting too caught up in editing and self-criticism, and allow the thoughts and feelings to flow more freely.

Lets You Become a Problem Solver

When you have to overcome a complex problem, your mind often goes into overdrive, generating a constant stream of possible solutions and scenarios. This can be frustrating and overwhelming. Writing them down in a stream-of-consciousness style can help to make the process more manageable and can also help to lead to new and innovative solutions.

Helps You Become More Creative 

It is also valuable to start by writing down any thoughts or feelings that are already present, even if they don’t seem to make sense. Doing so helps you get the creative juices flowing, leading to more insights and clarity once the writing is finished.

Allows You to Process Your Emotions 

Automatic writing can help you process complicated feelings, explore new concepts, or simply get in touch with your thoughts and sentiments. Your ideas can become messy and chaotic when you feel overwhelmed or confused. Writing them down in a stream-of-consciousness style can help bring them some order and clarity. It is challenging to start but once you get the hang of it, it can be a powerful and liberating tool.

Allows You to Capture Fleeting Thoughts 

It can help to capture fleeting thoughts and ideas before they are lost. The mind constantly generates thoughts and images, but many of these are quickly forgotten. Automatic writing allows the writer to capture these thoughts before they disappear.

Helps to Uncover Hidden Thoughts and Feelings 

The mind is often populated with subconscious concepts and attitudes that we are not fully aware of. Automatic writing can help to bring these into the conscious mind, where they can be examined and dealt with.

Helps You Process Distressing Events

Automatic writing might be a helpful method to process and make sense of distressing events. It’s also beneficial for the exploration of new thoughts or feelings. While you’ll need to learn how to use it, once you get the hang of it, it can be both powerful and freeing

Ultimately, automatic writing can simply be a way to capture the beauty and magic of the mind in action. There is something special about seeing the real views of another person laid out before you, unedited and unfiltered. It can be a moving and intimate experience. 

How Can Automatic Writing Be Used Effectively?

Journaling has many benefits and one of the most effective ways to journal is through stream-of-consciousness writing. This type of writing can help you to access your most profound questions and the emotions surrounding them and can be a powerful tool for self-exploration and growth.

Writing in a stream-of-consciousness style allows your thoughts and emotions to flow freely onto the page without editing or censoring yourself. This can be a liberating experience and help you tap into parts of yourself that you may be keeping hidden.

Automatic writing can also help you process and sense your thoughts and narrow down how you really feel about them. You can externalise them and see them more clearly by writing them down. This can be a helpful way to work through difficult emotions or situations.

If you want to experiment with automatic writing, you can do a few things. First, choose a peaceful location where you will not be disturbed. Then, time yourself (5-10 minutes is a good starting point). Once the timer is set, start writing whatever comes into your mind without stopping to edit or censor yourself. Instead, let your thoughts and feelings flow freely onto the page.

If you find it challenging to get started, you can prompt yourself by asking a question or writing about a specific topic. Nevertheless, don’t feel you need to stick to this prompt – let your thoughts roam freely. Once the timer goes off, read over what you’ve written. You may be surprised by what you’ve revealed about yourself. Stream-of-consciousness writing can be a powerful tool for self-discovery and growth.

Types of Journals You Can Use for This Style

You can use many different types of journals for automatic journaling. The most important thing is choosing a journal you feel comfortable writing in, allowing you to express yourself freely. Here are some different types you can use: 

• Blank notebook – A blank notebook is an excellent option for automatic journaling because it gives you complete freedom to write whatever you want, wherever you want on the page.

• Bullet journal – A bullet journal is helpful for automatic journaling because it allows you to jot down your ideas, thoughts, and emotions quickly and how they affect you, without worrying about the structure of your journal entries.

• Travel journal – A travel journal allows you to capture what you were going through during the experience.

• Online journal – An online journal gives you the flexibility to write whenever and wherever you want.

• Art journal – An art journal offers a practical option for automatic journaling because it allows you to express your thoughts and feelings creatively through painting or other art forms.

• Audio journal – An audio journal allows you to capture your true mindset and the feelings it brings you. This works fabulously if you feel that writing down your actual perspective and feelings is challenging.

• Video journal – A video journal is a great option for automatic journaling because it allows you to capture your thoughts and express your genuine emotions right on the video.

Regardless of the type of journal you choose, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable using it, allowing you to express your thoughts and feelings freely. Automatic journaling will enable you to discover your innermost whispered thoughts and is also a helpful tool for managing stress, anxiety, and other emotions.

Biggest Mistakes Made When Using Automatic Writing as a Journaling Technique

If you’re thinking about using automatic writing as a journaling technique, there are a few things you should know first. 

Here are the top eight mistakes people make when getting started with this type of writing:

• Not knowing what automatic writing is – As automatic writing is a type of writing that mimics the natural flow of thoughts, it means there is no specific structure or organisation to the thoughts; they just come out as they come.

• Trying to force it – Automatic writing is not something you can force. If you force it, the writing will come out stilted and unnatural. Just let the thoughts flow naturally and don’t worry about trying to make them fit into a specific structure.

• Not giving yourself enough time – Automatic writing takes time. If you do it for too short of a period, you won’t give yourself enough time to really get into the flow of thoughts. Allow at least 10-15 minutes for this type of writing. It’s best to do it first thing in the morning before your inner critic has time to wake up.

• Trying to edit as you go – One of the biggest mistakes you can make when doing automatic writing is editing as you go. This will only disrupt the flow of thoughts and make the writing less effective. Instead, just let the thoughts come out without worrying about editing them. You can always go back and edit later.

• Getting too caught up in the details – Another common mistake is to get too caught up in the details of what you’re writing. This can disrupt the flow of thoughts and make the writing less effective. Just let the thoughts come out without worrying about trying to make them perfect.

• Not having a specific focus – When you’re doing automatic writing, it’s important to have a particular direction. This will help to keep your thoughts on track and make the writing more effective. Make sure to choose a topic or question before you begin to write.

• Trying to write too much – Another mistake people make is writing too much. This can again disrupt the flow of thoughts and make the writing less effective. Just let the thoughts come out naturally, and don’t worry about attempting to write a certain amount.

• Not taking breaks – Finally, it’s essential to take breaks when you’re doing automatic writing. Breaks refresh your mind and keep your thoughts flowing. Set a timer for a specific time and then take a break when it goes off.

If you keep these things in mind, you’ll be well on your way to effective automatic writing. Just let the thoughts flow, and don’t worry about making them perfect. 

Why Is Automatic Writing Beneficial?

As automatic writing is done without stopping to think, it means that the thoughts flow onto the paper without any editing. This can benefit people who want an effective journaling practice for a few reasons. 

One factor is that it can help to clear your mind. For example, when you constantly think about something, it can be hard to let go of those thoughts. But, writing down your thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness style can help get those thoughts out of your head and onto the paper. This can help you to feel less stressed and more relaxed. 

Another reason automatic writing can be beneficial is that it can help you to understand your thoughts better. When you can see your thoughts written out in front of you, it can be easier to make sense of them. You may be able to see patterns in your thinking that you were not aware of before. This can help you to make changes in your thinking if you want to. 

Finally, automatic writing can be beneficial because it can help you to access your creative side. When your thoughts do not stop you, you may be able to come up with more creative ideas. This can be helpful if you are working on a project that requires creativity. 

Overall, automatic writing can be beneficial for people who want an effective journaling practice. 

Ten Tips for Automatic Writing Success

While there are no set rules for automatic writing because you can literally write about anything in any order without concern for run-on sentences, punctuation, or subject matter, there are a few tips that can make it more likely to succeed with this writing style. 

1. Let go of the need to edit as you write. This is a stream-of-consciousness exercise, not a final draft. As mentioned, you can always go back and edit later.
   
2. Write as quickly as possible. This is about getting your thoughts down on paper without overthinking them.
   
3. Don’t worry about grammar or punctuation. Again, this is not a final draft. Just get your thoughts down.
   
4. Keep your hand moving. Don’t stop to think about what you’re going to write next. Just let the words flow.
   
5. Write down whatever comes into your head, no matter how mundane or random it may seem.
   
6. Don’t judge or criticise your writing. This is meant to be a free-flowing exercise, not a time for self-criticism.
   
7. If you get stuck, just keep writing. Write anything, even if it’s just a string of gibberish. The goal is to keep the words flowing.
   
8. Once you’re done, read over what you’ve written. You may be surprised at what you’ve come up with.
   
9. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Automatic writing can be a great way to tap into your creative side.
   
10. Have fun with it. There are no examinations and there are no incorrect answers. All you have to do is let your ideas wander and see where they lead you.

Getting Started with Automatic Writing

If you want to try your hand at automatic writing but don’t know where to start, this will help. This writing style can be used for fiction or non-fiction and can be a great way to get your thoughts down on paper when journaling without worrying about grammar or punctuation. 

• Find a comfortable place to write. You’ll want to be somewhere you can focus and let your thoughts flow freely.

• Set a goal. Whether it’s a certain number of pages or a certain amount of time, having a goal in mind will help you stay focused while writing.

• Choose a topic. It can be anything you want but choosing something that’s been on your mind recently or that you’re passionate about may be helpful. 

• Set a timer. Using a timer to tell yourself how long you will work on an assignment or task can help you keep going even if you become blocked.

• Start writing. Don’t worry about what you’re going to say. Just let the words come out.

• Keep going until the timer goes off. Remember, you can go back and edit if you want, but don’t get too caught up in perfection.

• Repeat as often as you like. automatic writing can be a great way to clear your mind and get your creative juices flowing.

• Use a prompt. If you’re looking for a quick boost, consider using a prompt. For example, select an item in the room and describe it in as much detail as possible. Alternatively, create a scenario and start writing from there using as much detail as possible. Or set a scene and write from there.

• Review. After you’ve written, take a step back and look at what you’ve written. See if there’s anything you want to edit or expand upon.

• Edit later. After you’ve finished writing, you can go back and edit your piece if you want. But automatic writing is meant to be a raw and unfiltered look at your thoughts, so don’t worry too much about making everything perfect.

Automatic writing can be a great way to get your thoughts down on paper without worrying about grammar or punctuation. It can also be a great way to clear your mind.

Have you ever let your thoughts flow freely when journaling or writing anything?

If not, you may be surprised at where your thoughts take you. You might just find that you enjoy this writing style more than you thought. You may even learn that it’s a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

If you are brand new to automatic writing or journaling in general, download my FREE Get Started with Journaling Guide!