Intuitive Writing 101
I’ll be completely honest with you... there’s a whole host of reasons why I decided not to pursue an MFA after getting my degree in English and Creative Writing. Some of those reasons are common with others (so much money! so much time!) but the biggest reason is that I didn’t agree with my writing teachers in undergrad... and I definitely didn’t agree with the way many teachers “taught” writing in MFA programs. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was repelled by the focus on teaching “mainstream” writing methods rather than teaching from a holistic and inclusive place. It wasn’t until I learned about “intuitive” writing that I understood why I felt so repelled by traditional methods — they didn’t work for me!
Let’s break down what these terms mean and what they actually look like in practice.
“Mainstream” Writing
If you’re someone who understands the flow of masculine and feminine energy, then you may have guessed that mainstream writing is often achieved through masculine energy. Masculine energy is the goal-oriented, process and systems, action-taking energy. Feminine energy is more fluid, organic, receptive, and passive.
📌 FYI: Masculine and Feminine energies are neutral and have nothing to do with our concepts and constructs of male or female. Neither is wrong or right — they both just bring different types of energies to the table.
We live in a world dominated by masculine energy — this is obvious when you see how society functions with it’s never-ending cycles of “doing” and “goal-chasing.” It’s at the root of hustle culture and other systemic systems of being.
Now, I want to reiterate — neither energy is better or worse — they’re just different. What’s important to recognize is that we all skew differently when it comes to creativity and life. Some of us have more masculine energy flowing through our veins, while some of us have more feminine energy.
For many writers, though, they believe that the masculine energy way of approaching things is the only way... and that’s untrue! There are other ways!
Getting back to mainstream writing methods though — we see how it’s the primary focus for teachers, guides and writers to teach. How many times have you heard one of these statements?
“You should be aiming for a X word count”
“You should be writing for X hours a day”
“You should be following X plotting system”
“You should have a X word count goal for your novel”
Mainstream (and masculine energy) places more focus on the product rather than the process. For an intuitive writer (we’ll discuss more in-depth in a bit) focusing on product rather than process is what kills most of the writing dreams.
Mainstream writing (and writers) often (but not always) write like this:
Their conscious brain picks up on an idea
They decide whether or not to pursue the idea
They then direct the storyline and decide on an outcome
Then they take logical steps to achieve that specific result (a novel)
For a mainstream writer — the goal of writing is to end up with a finished product. And often (but again, not always), that goal is to satisfy what the “experts” decided is a successful story. Essentially, mainstream or masculine energy writing takes a “mental” approach. These writers write from a place of logic and rationale.
I believe there is a time and place for mainstream-masculine energy writing. I also believe that intuitive writers can benefit from a few mainstream writing methods to aid in their writing — but most of all — I believe that it’s not the only way to be a writer or to approach writing.
“Intuitive” Writing
Intuitive writing differs greatly from mainstream writing methods through the focus on process rather than the product. Intuitive writers are more concerned with exploring the inner workings of their novel than they are with the “final product.” Intuitive writers tend to focus on receiving information about the novel through their characters and intuitive hits rather than designing characters and plots to fit into an established or organized structure like a plotting technique.
Often, when intuitive writers try to force themselves to use mainstream writing methods, they end up shamed, depressed, and blocked with their writing. That’s because they’re trying to use tools that weren’t designed for the type of writer they are.
Lauren Sapala is an expert on intuitive writing and I’ve learned so much through her work on why intuitive writers often feel depressed, disconnected, and frustrated by their work. She offers a new and integrative approach to writing for intuitive writers and I have to admit that once I stopped trying to “fit” myself into mainstream writing methods and allowed myself to experiment with intuitive writing — the easier it was to write and it became something I loved to do instead of something I dreaded doing.
Intuitive writing (and writers) often (but not always) write like this:
They get a “download” or receive some sort of inspirational nudge for a story
They write down notes or thoughts about it
They think about, ponder, get curious about the characters and story but don’t force writing unless it comes to them organically
They repeat this process until they have enough material to piece together the story, characters, structure, etc.
For an intuitive writer — the goal of writing is to explore and discover the story as it unfolds. The goal isn’t tied to completing a final draft or product, rather they leave it open-ended to see where the story and characters want to go. This approach takes on a much more emotional approach to writing rather than the mental and rational approach.
I love this article from writer Carol Test on her intuitive writing process. She highlights how intuitive writing works for her (and also how she has struggled with mainstream writing methods) and gives some great advice on how to get more closely aligned with the unconscious creative brain to further enhance intuitive writing sessions.
And to add a personal reference here is an example of how my intuitive writing process looks:
I spend the first 10-15 minutes trying to access my subconscious brain by either listening to music I feel is related to the project or by doing a guided visualization/meditation
I write down my intention for the writing session. Something short and sweet usually like: My intention for this scene is to explore the connection between the main character and her love interest.
Light my writing candle
Start writing OR if I’m more in the “thinking” realm, I think and jot down notes as they come.
How do I know what kind of writer I am?
If you resonate with any of these statements — you might consider yourself a mainstream writer:
You enjoy and derive pleasure from plotting, outlining, planning, and writing out details of your novel before you start writing
You enjoy and need a specific goal or end product to aim for
You enjoy and derive pleasure from having a set of logical steps to follow to get you from beginning to end
You enjoy having a consistent writing practice even when you don’t feel like writing
You enjoy “pushing through” until the answers to your questions are answered
If you resonate with any of these statements — you might consider yourself an intuitive writer:
You’ve tried many of the “mainstream” writing methods and none of them have worked
You are not motivated by an end goal or product
You do not enjoy or derive pleasure from following logical steps
You do not enjoy “pushing through” writing tasks
You like to keep things more open and fluid with your writing practice.
Note: These are very basic and generic statements — you could be an intuitive writer who does benefit from some mainstream writing approaches. You could also be a mainstream writer who benefits from intuitive writing methods. It doesn’t have to be a one or the other — rather, it’s about learning which method works best for you and for the book you’re writing. Most clients I work with fall on either side of the approaches but tend to have a few cross-over attributes. That’s awesome — then you get the best of both worlds!
The Point
The point of this article is to bring intuitive writing into the light a bit more since it’s rarely talked about as an option. And because, to be honest, intuitive writers are the kind of writers that I tend to attract in my storytelling coaching. And most of the time — they don’t even realize that’s what they are. They come to me with experiences like:
“I feel so ashamed. What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just sit down and write something start to finish?”
“I have so many projects half-finished or started and I don’t know what to do about them.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t be a writer if I can’t follow the “rules” of writing like I’ve been taught.”
“I desperately want to write but I constantly feel blocked, full of self-doubt and fear.”
These statements are often byproducts of someone trying to use a method that doesn’t work for them. Once my client and I work through whether or not intuitive writing resonates with them — there’s a dam that breaks. Suddenly, they’re no longer feeling ashamed or doubtful of themselves. They no longer feel dependent on following mainstream methods. They feel empowered and liberated to work the way that works best for them.
That is the point of this article — to say that if you struggle with writing — it’s most likely not you that is the problem. It’s probably the methods you’re trying to force yourself to write with. What would happen if you allowed yourself the grace and compassion to experiment with a new way? What might you discover?
Intuitive Writing Tips
Read everything you can by Lauren Sapala — she has SO many free resources, books, blog posts, and videos that will help you get more familiar with intuitive writing and the process.
Reframe your perspective on writing and writing methods — be open to exploring what intuitive writing can offer you.
Allow yourself to contemplate the various methods you’ve used (and the ones you haven’t) and get curious. What methods have worked in the past? What hasn’t? What is the hardest part about writing for you? How do you navigate that?
Experiment and see what happens!
Talk with other intuitive writers who are learning to leverage their gifts of approaching writing in an intuitive way.
If you want to learn more about intuitive writing or how to leverage it for your own writing — consider working with me! We talk about this topic a lot in my Write Minded Community but I also work with a lot of intuitive writing clients through my 1-1 Coaching practice. Both are excellent options for moving forward in your writing practices and projects.
