Allow yourself to be surprised by your own writing from "summary" of Writing about Your Life by
When you sit down to write, you may have a clear idea of what you want to say. You may have a plan, an outline, or even a detailed structure in mind. But sometimes, as you start putting words on the page, something unexpected happens. Your thoughts take a new direction. Your words flow in a different way. You find yourself exploring ideas you hadn't considered before. This is the magic of writing - the ability to surprise yourself with your own words.
Allowing yourself to be surprised by your own writing can be a liberating experience. It means letting go of expectations and embracing the unknown. It means being open to new possibilities and willing to follow wherever your words may lead. When you allow yourself to be surprised, you give yourself the freedom to experiment, to take risks, and to discover something new about yourself and your writing.
Surprise can come in many forms. It can be a sudden insight, a fresh perspective, or a surprising twist in the narrative. It can be a turn of phrase that captures the essence of what you're trying to say, or a moment of clarity that brings everything into focus. Whatever form it takes, surprise has the power to invigorate your writing, to make it come alive in ways you never imagined.
Surprise is not something that can be forced or manufactured. It is a spontaneous, organic process that emerges from the act of writing itself. It requires patience, openness, and a willingness to let go of preconceived ideas. It requires trust in yourself and in the creative process. When you allow yourself to be surprised by your own writing, you tap into the deeper currents of your creativity. You connect with something beyond your conscious mind, something that is intuitive, mysterious, and profoundly human.
So, the next time you sit down to write, remember to be open to surprise. Allow yourself to be guided by the unknown, to be led by your own words. Embrace the unexpected, and let it take you on a journey of discovery and self-expression. Who knows what you might find along the way? The only way to know is to write and see where it takes you.
