For some time now I’ve noticed that when I put my mind into writing about any topic, may that be personal development, blogging, writing, describing a French city, a dish or anything else I may have to write for a client, I just write as I think, effortlessly.
I do not stop in the middle. I just somewhat KNOW what I want to say automatically. The words flow to me until I reach the end of my article, no matter how long I need the article to be. It’s like my mind is programmed for the length of that specific article.
Once I’m done, I usually leave my writing alone overnight, or at least for a few hours, and then I get back to it to edit anything that doesn’t sound good enough, as well as any misspells or errors. But I know that my most important piece is done and that’s what counts.
For a long time – even though the subconscious mind is one of my favorite subjects – I didn’t know that what happened when I wrote was my subconscious doing most of the work. This has been the very reason why I’ve been able to write so fast and easy.
Interestingly, not long ago, I was reading a blog post where the author was saying that by now he writes subconsciously, and what he was describing about his ability to write resembled to a T what I’m experiencing when I write. So, this gave me the idea to write about subconscious writing and how it can help YOU write better and faster.
How does Subconscious Writing Happen?
The best way to explain subconscious writing is by comparing it to driving. Do you drive a car? Well, if you do, you might or might not know this, but you drive your car mostly subconsciously.
What does it mean? It means that you do not consciously turn on the ignition, press on the right pedals at the right time with your foot, stay on the right side of the road, or even get where you need to go, while you’re consciously thinking about it all. All of that is pretty much done on autopilot, and you can do it while you’re thinking about something totally different that has nothing to do with driving.
The reason for this is because you’re driving subconsciously. As a matter of fact, if you had to drive one hundred percent consciously while thinking about anything else than the actual driving, you’d be heading for the nearest tree or wall and cash.
Do you remember the last time you drove consciously? It probably was the first time you got behind the wheel. Since you had never done it before, you had to be very conscious of every single step. That’s why it was slow and chaotic.
It really didn’t come naturally then, did it? It took some practice to pass on what you had learned consciously to your subconscious. But now that it’s there, you drive without thinking of it. You just get in that car and drive.
The same can happen with writing.
Once you’ve practiced writing long enough, you can transfer that over to the faster and more efficient helper, which is your subconscious, and write like a machine. This is how subconscious writing does happen. Just like for driving.
But before we talk about that, let’s see what are the signs that tell you that you’re not writing subconsciously.
What are the Signs that you’re not Writing Subconsciously?
1 – You’re unable to complete your thought
You start writing about a given subject, but you’re unable to complete your thought. You stop after the third of fourth paragraph, and can’t think of what else to write.
This is the first tell-tale sign that you’re not writing subconsciously, and that’s why it’s so tough. Your ideas are not flowing, you stop in your track, and you want to give up right there.
2 – You stop every few minutes to check on what you’ve done so far
Do you stop driving every few minutes to look behind making sure you’re doing OK thus far?
No, of course not.
Well, the same goes with writing. Do not stop on every paragraph to check on errors and misspellings, or anything else. Keep going on your thoughts, and keep writing until you’re done. Do not stop. This goes against the development of your subconscious writing. You’ll have plenty of time to do all the rewriting and error checking later, when your first draft is complete.
3 – You’re correcting misspelling as you go
You can’t possibly write subconsciously and doubting yourself so much that you have to spell check every so often. Actually this is also a sign of procrastination, but that an whole different subject of its own.
If you write on Word doc or any other writing program, most of the spelling errors will be corrected pretty much automatically anyway. Again, you’ll have plenty of time to spell check what your program left off later when you’re done with your first draft.
4 – You keep changing your theme
You start writing about something and change your mind, again and again. You can’t seem to be able to stick to one subject and stick to it.
This is a huge sign that you have not been able to go from a conscious to a subconscious writing mode. If you do this, it actually means that your conscious is getting in the way, and you’re not leaving any room for subconscious writing at all.
It’s like thinking of every details you go through as you drive. It would be so hard to drive this way that you would have to stop and park the car. You wouldn’t be able to go anywhere safely. You’d be stuck.
5 – Your main Idea Falls Short
You’re thinking that you have a great idea to write about, but it falls short very quickly and you find yourself unable to complete your article. At first you thought you had something going on, but it’s like you’ve ran out of gas mid-way.
This happens a lot when you’re not writing subconsciously.
How To Develop Subconscious Writing
To answer this question I would want to ask YOU a question first; when did you develop subconscious driving? My guess is with practice.
The first few times we do something we almost always struggle because it’s a conscious act, and our conscious mind is NEVER on autopilot. Our autopilot is our subconscious mind. That’s why habits work so well, because good or bad, they are actions that were once conscious, but passed on to our subconscious. We do them without thinking.
In the case of our example, as you kept on practicing driving you became less and less conscious of your every move, because your driving became more and more subconscious.
It’s the same thing with writing. The more you practice, the more you write on a daily basis, the more you’re going to improve your subconscious writing. If you force yourself to write a certain amount of words each day, no matter what, you’ll be developing the habit of writing.
On it becomes such an embedded habit in your mind, it does become a subconscious skill, just like driving, walking, or speaking. You’ll never stop in your track for any reason again, and your writing speed and quality will keep improving.
When you write subconsciously, you never run out of idea to write about and when you get one it doesn’t go away, it keeps going until you’re done.
Here are few quick tips to develop subconscious writing
1 – Write when the idea is there
No matter where you go, try to have a pen and pad with you (or any note taking device) and write at least the main idea of your article when it comes to you. The longer you wait, the most likely the idea will go away.
2 – Resist the urge to stop
I know this on it’s own is a practice, but when you start writing, resist the urge to stop for spell checking or errors or anything at all. Just write like you are on a mission.
3 – Practice writing every day
No matter how busy you are, practice writing each and every day. Do not wait to have an idea to write, just write anyway. If nothing comes up, just write about that. Don’t let any excuse to prevent you from exercising your writing.
If you practice these 3 tips each and every day, your writing skills our bound to improve greatly and you subconscious writing mode will be improving each and every day.
So, how have you been doing so far? Are you letting your subconscious guide your writing, or are you consciously struggling to have the work done?
Please, do tell!
Hey Sylviane,
I believe that I do write subconsciously but I never thought about it that way. Maybe that’s why it’s hard for me to plan out what I’m going to write about. I know the topic so when I sit down it just start spewing out and the next thing you know my post is done.
BUT, I do correct misspellings as I go along because you have to remember, I was an executive assistant for over 30 years. As I’m typing I know when I’ve misspelled a word so I just correct it as I go. I think that’s part of what I’ve known for so long. It doesn’t slow my thought process down at all, it’s just that I’m aware I made the mistake as I was typing so I want to correct it at that time.
I think we all have a part of this in us if we were to just think about it like talking to a friend. If you’re having a conversation with a friend and you want to share what you know about something then you just start talking right! People should just approach writing in the same way and just write the conversation out instead of talking. Then you can always go back and edit it to make it post worthy.
Great examples and it makes perfect sense. Thanks for sharing this with us and be sure to have a wonderful day.
~Adrienne
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Hi Adrienne,
I agree with you Adrienne, according to what you’ve always said, I have no doubt that you do write subconsciously, and that’s probably why you can’t write posts in advance, which is also my problem. Writing subconsciously it’s also writing on instinct and we can’t plan instinct, can we?
I also correct a few misspell shere and there if I happen to see them right away and it doesn’t slow me down either, however, for those who purposely stop to look for errors will slow down their writing and cut off the creativity as well.
Writing subconsciously is cool stuff, and I love it. It’s like something stronger than you does of the work for you, and that’s the best part of all.
Thank you for your input and for coming and have a fantastic day too.
Hi Sylviane,
After reading this, I know I write subconsciously. Once I start writing, there is no stopping me. All things start flowing out of my head. Now, it is usually so long that I could break it down to a few posts he he he.
But, on the next day I do read it and the ideas don’t flow at all. But, I get some good stuff out of it. I chop it down so it is congruent. (I usually throw in so many different ideas that it would make a reader crazy)
After that, I read it again, making sure that spelling and grammar is correct. Then again with an eye out for what the reader can obtain from it.
Finally, I send it over to David for any mistakes I may have made. He is so good at that! I am grateful I have another pair of eyes to look at it before I push Publish!
-Donna
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Hi Donna,
I’m glad to know that you write subconsciously. That’s the way to go, and that’s how most people who write constantly do write.
I think that writing is addictive for those who like it, and addictive things do because subconscious, don’t they? So that’s very convenient when it come to a valuable addiction such as writing. We can use this for our upmost benefits.
Thank you for telling us about your writing process, and for coming.
Have a fantastic week ahead!
I really like your analogy about driving Sylviane:
And I wonder (do you think) there is such a thing as subconscious dancing?LOL? because a lots of people, think way too much or are way too self conscious about how or what their bodies are doing, while they dance! Just wondering!
Anyway, it certainly seems to make practical sense, that as you pointed out, the more you practice writing, the easier it becomes to express your thoughts.
Plus, you begin to trust your writing instincts more and therefore not pre-judge what you’ve come up with less harshly! And give yourself credit for being an engaged writer.
In any event, you’ve offered lots of food for thought! Thanks so much for sharing your insights or a very intriguing subject!
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Hi Mark,
Well, anything that we end up doing without thinking much means that it has become subconscious for the most part, like talking, walking and of course why not dancing. Any habit is also subconscious as well as tics.
Thank you for coming and I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
If I stuck with article topic, I simply leave it overnight or for few days, until I get better idea or inspiration. Most often good idea for title isn’t enough to write a good article.
Hi Kaloyan,
I agree, a title alone is not enough to write an article on, it take more like an idea or inspiration, especially for those who write subconsciously.
Thank you for your input.
Hi Sylviane,
I wasn’t far into your article before I noticed that the way of writing you’re describing is what I was taught to call “stream of consciousness.” I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t write this way. Probably have a left brain-right brain crisis! Some great ideas here that I’m going to share with my colleagues at work – this applies very well to many aspects of one’s professional life.
Thanks much for your thoughts!
Hi Russ,
Welcome here and thank you for this intelligent comment. I’m flattered that you want to share those ideas with others. “Stream of consciousness” I guess that’s how some people call it, but in such case it’s more of the subconsciousness than consciousness to me.
Thank you for coming and hope to see you again soon.
Sylviane,
Thank you for this wonderful article. I did not realize that what I was doing was writing subconsciously! However, I am like the lady in a previous comment. I also correct any misspellings as I go. I always have.
I am very new to blogging and I have found that I really enjoy it. Now I have a name for my style of writing.
Thank you,
Mary
Hi Mary and welcome here 🙂
I’m glad to hear that, because writing subconsciously is the way to go.
Now don’t forget that writing happens to be on the creativity side of the brain as opposed to correcting which happens to be on the analytic side of the brain and that’s why it’s better not to correct as you create, but as I always say, people are different from one another, and what works for one person may not work for another, no matter what it is, so If correcting misspells as you go works for you that’s what counts.
Welcome to blogging and I’ll check you out later 🙂
Thank you for coming by.
Hi Syl,
Excellent! I’ve published over 3300 posts on my current blog, and have deleted thousands, and have published thousands on other blogs. Between video and text posts, we’re talking 5000 to 6000 pieces of content in my career. This is routine to me because I’ve done it, with no distractions or hesitations, so many times.
24 posts in a day, written? Yep did it lol….ALL according to your dead on tips. Publishing posts becomes like brushing your teeth, a simple, easy habit to follow.
Thanks!
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Hi Ryan,
Wow, you called my like my brother 🙂 Only my brother ever called me Syl 🙂
You are like a machine Ryan, and your work is impressive, but from what I know about you I’m not surprised. Keep up the good work dear, and thank you for coming.
well, to be honest..whenever i’m trying to write something…i don’t why it make frustrated…hmmm although i’m trying my best. but good points.
Hi Ajay,
Maybe all you need is write about what you love most and practice.
Thank you for coming.
Hi Sylviane,
I think I know what you mean. Some times I feel I write subconsiously. No problems. No issues. Flows like water and the post is easy to complete. It feels exactly as you describe. However, I don’t feel like that every day or every time I write. I don’t know why but I speculated that it was only on subjects that I am passionate about or feel excited about. So I figured that I would have to channel that excitement and passion into every post. Now, from reading your article, I under stand that it is writing from the subconscious. I will certainly look at your steps to help me initiate writing this way from now on.
Thanks Sylviane. Great post.
Barbara
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Hi Barbara,
Sorry, your comment was stuck in moderation and I have no idea why since I delete junk comments that don’t go there all day long. I guess that’s technology, alright
Indeed, it’s easier to write subconsciously when the topic is one we’re passionate about. No doubt. But with practice we can do it even when writing about a topic that we’re not passionate about though. Most of that stuff is all about practicing a LOT. Don’t know if you’ve seen the comment of my body Ryan, here, but he’s a writing machine, and for him it’s just about sitting and starting to write. Period. Because he’s been writing so, so much.
I glad you enjoyed the post, and thank you for coming.
Hi Sylviane,
I was so happy when I took your mini quiz and passed! This was the affirmation I needed that I’ve improved my writing skill, thanks to you, Donna, and other wonderful bloggers who shared such great advice.
Like your post today. I have always heard the more one writes the better one becomes at writing. And I believe that. I’ve gone back to older posts and I have come a long way, lol.
I like the idea of writing when the idea is there. I usually get ideas while I’m waiting for my kids in the parking lot so now I’m going to make use of my notepad on my smartphone and write a draft if the idea strikes me.
Thanks for the advice Sylviane. I hope you’re having a great week so far.
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Hi Corina,
I’m so glad to hear that your writing has improved since your beginnings. That a normal thing which happens to all those who write on a regular basis. The thing with writing is that no matter how long we’ve been writing, we are still getting better and better at it.
When I look at my early articles I want to scream, and I’ve deleted so many of them, because I didn’t want them attached to me name 😉
Yes, you should take notes as the ideas come in as long as it’s safe to do so. I know what you mean, usually writing ideas come when we are doing something totally different than just sitting at a desk.
Hi Sylviane,
Great as always. There’s one more tip to build our subconscious writing: develop our reading habit. The more we read the more we have idea to write.
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Hi Okto,
Very true. Thank you for adding this important information.
Hi Sylviane
I had never thought about it like this but reading it makes sense. I love the driving analogy.
I would say I write subconsciously most of the time. When I am connected to what I am writing about and it just flows I guess that is what I am doing. There are times when I struggle and so some of the things you have described.
Awesome topic and I do think writing daily helps even if it is not always blogging.
Thanks Sylviane
Sue
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Hi Sue,
I know what you mean, when you write about something that you’re totally connected with, then subconscious writing goes on over drive, when you write about something you’re not so much, it tends to slow down. It’s totally normal, but the more we practice the more we can improve the areas where it slows down.
Yes, writing daily is a MUST. It doesn’t have to be a blog post at all. The importance is in the act of writing. It’s like daily exercise, the more we do it the easier it becomes.
Thank you for your great input.
Hi Sylviane,
If I could write subconscious like you, it must be great 🙂
Judging from the signs that you pointed out, it seems I was not the type of person who writes subconsciously. I stopped after a few sentences to check and look for other ideas, he he ..It seems I need a lot of practice to be able to write better.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Sylviane.
Have a great day. 🙂
Nanda
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Hi Nanda,
That’s OK, just practice writing each day, about whatever subject. Write about 500 words each day and I can assure you, you will improve and your writing will become more and more subconscious.
Hi Sylviane,
Excellent post, indeed!
A key feature of writing subconsciously for me is a focused flow. When I become conscious of my writing, then more mental interference starts and doubt can kick in.
Thank you.
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Hi Hiten,
Yes, it’s true, writing subconsciously make your writing flow so well. Indeed, like anything subconscious, if we try to interfere consciously with it, it would slow it down. Not a good idea.
Thank you so much for your great feedback.