Free Association

FREE ASSOCIATION

by Vickie L King

What is free association? in Techniques of The Selling Writer, Dwight V. Swain describes focused free association as . . "hitting the keys as fast as possible, describing the story you want to write."

Now, you're asking yourself, "Why would I need that?" This writing technique can be used to bring a story idea to life, to spur you on to another scene, and it can get you past that blank screen that's been staring back at you for the past hour. It is invaluable for profiling characters, setting a scene or creating a mood. The list is endless.

How does this work? Let's start with bringing a story idea to life. Every story begins with the seed of an idea. At the moment, maybe this idea is all you have. Spend a few minutes thinking about it. How? Remember, something specific planted this seed in your mind. If nothing else, think about that. Now, start writing. Strike the keys as fast as possible. Remember, no one sees this but you. Don't worry about the mechanics. Write about whatever enters your mind. Don't stop to read it. Just write!

How much time should I spend in free association? Start small. Set a timer for one minute. For that minute, you will do nothing but hit the keys. When your minute is up, read what you've written. Even if you only find one thing from what you've written that you can use to build your story around, that's one more thing than you had a minute ago.

Use this same technique to spur you on to another scene or to get past that blank screen. When you find yourself staring at a blank screen, think about the last scene you wrote. Start writing anything that comes to mind. You may not use a single word of what you write, but you might get an idea for an altogether different scene, or maybe you will find that perfect sentence to start your next scene.

When profiling my characters, free association is the method I use. Every character has a background, a life before he/ she came into the story. You, the writer, will bring the character to life by creating a background for him/her. How? Focus on your character. Maybe you haven't a clue about where or how your character grew up. Spend a few minutes asking yourself questions about the character. Was he the only child, or did he grow up the eldest of eight children? Did he come from a wealthy family? Impoverished? Perhaps he was the middle child. A college graduate? Were his parents alcoholics? Choose or, or two things to focus on. Set your timer. Now, write. Again, don't worry about spelling and punctuation or sentence structure. Just write! You'll be surprised at how much information will accumulate on your character. You may not use all of the information, but it may spur you on to a detailed profile of your character.

When we use free association, we are giving ourselves permission to say anything we want to say, any way we want to say it. It won't be critiqued, line edited, or even looked at by anyone else. Keep this in mind. This freedom allows us to write from the soul. We are pulling out words at random. There is no organization to it. No rules. Use the timer, or don't use the timer. You're the boss.

This method of writing will enhance your awareness of the five senses. Let's imagine that you need to write a scene that takes place in a restaurant. What type of restaurant? Italian? Imagine the smell of spaghetti sauce and fresh baked bread. Hear the music. Taste the wine. Is there candle light? Maybe the restaurant is a diner in a small town. See the chrome napkin holders on the Formica table. Slide across the cool vinyl of the booth. Watch the waitress as she darts from table to table, a pencil behind her ear, an order pad in the pocket of her white apron. Can you hear the bellow of the cook as he calls out the order is ready? Maybe the scene takes place in a coffee shop. Smell the rich, dark coffee. Taste the sweet blend of thick cream and chocolate mixed into it. Hear the coffee bean grinder. Feel the warmth of a mug filled with coffee. Now, write. See it. Taste it. Hear it. Smell it. Touch it. Write it.

Once you've had a chance to read what you've written, pull out only what you plan to use. Mark it with a highlighter, but don't throw the rest away. Put it in a file and keep it. The next time you need it, you'll have it. You'll also know how much of it you've already used because you highlighted it. There may be something there that's perfect for one of your other stories. Highlight those lines in another color.

How do you use free association to create a mood? Think about the mood your character is in. Is she happy? Heartbroken? Does it seem that all is lost? Is she afraid? If she's happy, she'll see the world around her in the same way. Bright. Colorful, maybe. If she's afraid, she'll see everything as a threat. She may see shadows around every comer. Hear eerie noises. If she's heartbroken, she may cry. Think about something sad in your own life. How did it make you feel? You probably didn't feel like doing anything but curling up with a box of tissues. 'Mink about the mood your character is in. Think about how that mood would affect you. Write anything and everything you can think of about that mood. Once you've read what you've written, you'll be amazed at how many emotions you've been able to pull from your own experiences. You're creating a mood.

Free association may not be for everyone, but I've fount that it helps me create and work through the rough spots. Try it. You might find it's exactly what you need to get you writing. Keep a free association file for every story. Whenever you hit a rough spot, go back and read that file. What you need may already be there.