AUTOMATIC WRITING

The ability to open the line of communication between your head and your hand is a learned skill. It’s like driving, dancing, skiing, or typing. Like those skills, it takes practice. Automatic writing is a good device for such practice, and it’s a good technique for getting started whenever you sit down to write.

Automatic writing occurs when your ideas are transmitted directly to your writing without any detours. Usually we “edit” those impulses first by trying to verbalize our thoughts and then by translating those verbal messages into the written word. Automatic writing is just that: automatic. No editing is allowed! Therefore, do not carefully plan your statements and do not correct any “errors” you make. Remember, your work will not be graded or read for “correctness (it’s to help you learn to “unlock” ideas), but it can count for extra credit UP to 2% of your grade.

Over the next eight (8) weeks, please practice automatic writing once a week, for fifteen (15) minutes. Enjoy the process! You may write about whatever you choose. If you have trouble getting started, look at the list below for some ideas. All of your automatic writings are due on Wednesday, 11/15. Turn the writings in via the extra credit: automatic writing assignment

Possible Automatic Writing Topics

How you choose to use social media	Reaction(s) to a current event
Accepting others’ faults	The business you’d like to own
Child care as an employee benefit	The importance of “risking
Your favorite computer software program	Ways to relax
Credit cards	What appeals to you most about your job
Online classes	What irritates you most about your job
Evaluating employees	What you accomplished on a certain day
Exercise	What you admire about your manager or mentor
How you spend your leisure time	Where you would like to be in the year 2025
How you would improve your workplace	Whether the customer is always right
Job safety	Why you are a good employee
Searching for a job	Why you are going to college
Managing your time	Working and attending classes
Mass transit in Sonoma County	Your best and worst traits
Nervous habits	Your feelings about the economy
Open space versus development	Your next vacation
Owning a home versus renting	Your reactions to an article, a book, or a movie
Public speaking	Your travel experiences
Raising children to be confident and competent	…or other topics of your choice!