Confession: The Most Boring Writer’s Exercise Ever Will Actually Fix Your Life

Your brain is lying to you. It wants you to believe that writer’s block requires a dramatic cure. It wants you to buy a $40 candle, book a cabin in Vermont, or stare at a blank Google Doc until your eyes bleed.

The real cure is actually incredibly boring. It is called Uncensored Timed Free-Writing. It has the glamour of washing dishes, but it works every single time.

   

[ Brain Filter: ON ] ---> *Stares at blank page for 3 hours*    

[ Brain Filter: OFF ] ---> "Blah blah cat toast purple" ---> GENIUS IDEA FOUND!

The 4 Rules of the Boring Exercise

To pull this off, you must lower your standards to the absolute floor. Follow these steps:

• Set a timer: Lock yourself in for exactly 10 minutes.

• Keep moving: Your fingers must not stop moving across the keyboard or paper.

• Write absolute garbage: If you have no ideas, literally type "I have no ideas" over and over.

• Ban the backspace: Deleting words during this exercise is an indictable crime.

Why This Boring Garbage Works

The inner editor in your head is a perfectionist bully. This exercise tricks that bully by moving too fast for them to keep up.

1. It Kills the Perfectionism Monster

Writer’s block is not a lack of ideas. It is the fear that your first draft will suck. When you intentionally write absolute trash, the fear vanishes.

2. It Clears the Brain Pipes

Think of your brain like an old rusty faucet. You have to let the brown, muddy sludge run for a minute before the clean, sparkling creative water comes out.

3. It Bypasses Your Filter

When you write without thinking, your subconscious takes the wheel. Hidden deep beneath your boring thoughts about grocery lists is the brilliant plot twist you’ve been hunting for.

---

Confession: The Most Boring Writer’s Exercise Ever Will Actually Fix Your Life

After playing the piano for more than 40 years, I learned the lesson (the hard way) that rest periods really work, in other words turning the brain off! Most writer's are over achievers and perfectionists and it's a hard habit to break and it comes in handy when editing. By practicing these simple steps it can free up your mind and your inner resources to develop new ideas and later to use these ideas when you turn back on you're inner editor when it's time to edit. These are insanely simple and powerful ideas that if you have not used them, it might be something you'll want to try.

As always we wish you success in this endeavor that pushes us all, to write and write well. Stay tuned as each Monday we try to bring you small steps to help you to write you're next greatest work.

If you are interested in an exciting story that is based on true events,

just click on the picture to learn more