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How the ‘Brain Dump Method’ Can Boost Your Writing Output
The approach I take to my writing process
Not long ago, I used to crank out each article one at a time, set it aside, and edit it later. Recently though, I changed my writing game and started batching my articles. My current process is this: I would work on several articles (two or three) at once and then edit them when I’m done with all of them.
This practice has proved to be effective and has boosted my creative output twofold. The reason is, I found that being able to focus on just writing and get all the ideas out was liberating.
Here is how this method can help your writing process.
You boost your creative output
Writing and editing are two separate processes. When you write a story, you engage many parts of your brain, such as the frontal lobe, hippocampus, and Broca’s area. When you focus on just writing content, you use the writing part of the brain to maximum capacity. Doing so allows you to produce more content as you’re able to tap into creative flow. At the same time, this process puts tremendous pressure on your brain. That’s why you need to take a break from writing before you start editing your draft.
As you write, your goal is to tap into your creativity and let your imagination roam. To do that, you must hush your inner critic — the editing portion of your brain — as much as possible. During the writing process, different parts of the brain are at work — mainly the left region of the brain. But it doesn’t mean the right side of the brain, which is involved in logic and reasoning, isn’t engaged. Both sides of the brain communicate together as you write. But it is during the editing stage is when your inner critic wakes up. When you write your first draft, your goal is to let the left side of the brain shine. And since editing is achieved mostly by right-side of the brain, you don’t want it to interfere with your creativity as you write.
The key is to create a balance between the left and right sides of the brain. For this reason, keeping the writing process separate from editing will ensure your right brain — your inner critic — isn’t getting in the way of your creative flow. Doing so will allow you to boost your…
