Intuition and Writing

An Essay on Writing
by Dave Swinford

In popular culture, intuition has become entangled with psychic phenomena. As a result, many people, including writers, deny their own intuitions. They ignore the fact that the creative process is often an intuitive one.

I prefer to think of intuition as a natural mental process or tool that most of us utilize without acknowledging that we are doing so. It's a Right Brain process, a process that draws on unconscious knowledge and understanding to provide those "Aha" moments of insight and inspiration that are common to everyone. We've all experienced such moments and are usually grateful to receive them.

If intuition is a normal aspect of the creative process, it would make sense for those of us engaged in creative endeavors to not only gratefully accept our intuitions, but to actively seek to maximize them. To that end, I offer the following steps to actively engage one's intuitions to assist with creative problem solving. These steps are derived from personal experience and study of the subject.

The first step is to clearly define the problem. That means being relatively specific about what you need to resolve. Write the problem down as a single statement. Being able to clearly state the problem as a single sentence represents about 50% of the solution.

For example, don't write: "There's no real tension in this scene or story."

Instead, write: "The conflict between Jack and Sandi just doesn't feel real, so without altering my story arc, I need a stronger conflict."

Now that you have a specific problem to focus on, you want to engage your intuition to assist with a solution. Steps two and three are intended to shut off all those Left Brain "what ifs" and random thoughts and to shift you into Right Brain processes that can connect up with your unconscious data bases. In technical terms, this means shifting into the Alpha brain-waves rather than the Beta brain-waves generated by Left Brain thinking.

Step two is to narrow your focus and shut down all the random thinking and worrying with the problem. One of the simplest ways to do this is to sit down in a comfortable chair and to focus your attention on some object. Focus on the shape, texture, colors and patterns of that object until that is all that is in your mind.

Step three is to hold the concentration but relax your body. If you do meditation, you will already know how to do this. If not, the simplest method is to take deep breaths. Pull the air in slowly and fill your lungs to capacity. Hold the inhale for a few beats and then, slowly exhale to empty your lungs. Hold the exhale for a few beats and repeat the process for at least four to six full breaths.

Now, you do step four, which is to tune into your inner knowing. Shift your attention from the object and your breathing to your inner mental screen, the one that you use when visualizing or imaging a scene you plan to write. Shift your attention and without consciously trying, expect to receive an image or impression. This image or impression will be the answer from your Unconscious, the intuitive result you were seeking.

Often, the image or impression will be clear and easy to understand, but if you end up with something symbolic, and the Unconscious does like to use symbols, metaphors and puns, you will need to do a fifth step to interpret your symbol or impression.

In step five, try free association to see what the symbol or impression suggests to your thinking mind. For example, suppose you saw the sun rising or setting as your symbol. Free associate what "sun" might mean to you, and don't forget that it could be a pun for "son" and when you consider that option, you get an "Aha" that inspires you to say, "The son should be the real conflict or issue between Jack and Sandi." And once you have this "Aha," you will find it easy to work out the details.

If for some reason, free associating does not produce a clear since of the symbol, let go of the process and focus on other things. The answer will often pop into your conscious mind while you are doing something routine, such as brushing your teeth or washing dishes. Or, you may dream the answer or wake up with it clearly in your conscious mind. The more one practices activating intuition, the easier it will become. After that, it will take only a few minutes to do the triggering steps and to receive your answer.

So, when you next find yourself with a challenge, whether it be with your writing or some "real life issue," give your intuition an opportunity to assist you. It can provide creative insights to all sorts of problems, especially creative ones.