I recently saw a blog posting regarding Jack Kerouac’s Essentials for Spontaneous prose. It reminded me of a short piece I wrote on the same subject last year. I read this often and let it guide me in my own attempt at capture life through words.
(Posted January 21,2008)
I’ve been reading the Dharma Bums this week. The author and one of my literary heros, Jack Kerouac was known for his quick as breath writing style. letting words flow from thought to finger in a moment. no over editing. no careful placement. just words words words flowing out of him and into the world. i’m so inspired by that. like dust or dandelions. releasing parts of oneself and seeing where it lands.
thought i’d share a bit of his advice on subconscious writing. I try to remind myself of these suggestions as often as possible. here are my favorites:
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Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for your own joy
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Submissive to everything, open, listening
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Be in love with your life
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Something that you feel will find its own form
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Blow as deep as you want to blow
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Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
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Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
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Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
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Write in recollection and amazement for yourself
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No fear or shame in the dignity of your experience, language & knowledge
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Write for the world to read and see your exact pictures of it
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Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better
“Write in recollection and amazement….” I feel like that sums up every word I’ve ever put on a page. recollection of my past, my experience, myself. amazement in my journey and those that go with me.
Do you ever feel like you can see words moving? Like they are grabbing your eyeballs and seducing you to read them over and over? Forcing your mouth to say them outloud? Convincing you that they were written with care for you specifically? I’m sure I can’ t be the only one.
M
