Looking through the different meanings of stream of consciousness writing muddled my ever confused mind at what exactly is stream of consciousness writing. Wikipedia states that:

In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode that seeks to portray an individual's point of view by giving the written equivalent of the character's thought processes, either in a loose interior monologue, or in connection to his or her actions. The introduction of the term to describe literature - transferred from psychology - is attributed to May Sinclair, and is mostly a dead metaphor.

Did you get that? Okay, I kinda did, but not really. This in turn tickled my curiosity as to how does one write with stream of consciousness. Bratling.org says:

How to do stream of consciousness writing

Well as you have probable guessed there is nothing to it, the only thing is you don’t want to be slowed down I find it easier to do on akeyboard since I can touch type, however most people I know keep journals.

It is very simple.

1. Set
   a period of time say five minutes, best use a timer with some kind of
   bell.
2. Make
   sure there are no distractions.
3. Now
   start the timer and start writing. Continuously write the first things
   that come in to your head. This is very important, you will find this hard
   at the beginning you will find that it is very usually to plan forward,
   but the key to this is to remain completely in the moment. You may find
   this very hard to even identify if you are doing this correctly. I even
   have trouble. Don’t spelling check, do not go back and edit words or
   grammar. If you want to you can at the amend it but only after the set
   period of time is up. The whole point of the exercise is to be turning off
   the filter and just unloading your subconscious onto the page. Try not to
   censor yourself, again this make the whole exercise pointless.

I was told that you go though a set of phases if you are
doing this correctly, a kind of pouring out all the crap you have been taught
to repress. These phase are more topics I’m not sure what orders these phases
are suppose to go in but I don’t think this is a science.

Phases:

• Sex/Obscenity
• Mother and Father
• Death
• God

If you find yourself going thought these phases you are
probable doing the right thing.

Now I get it, it means holding a pen, writing down what comes to your mind first and going with where your thoughts lead you. This is what some calls freewriting.

What is the purpose of stream of consciousness style? An idea processor where the writer digs deep into his consciousness to express his thoughts.

Would I recommend it? I did recommend it at some degree in an earlier post but organizing ideas and research to better communicate with readers can be more effective in conveying thought.

Although, this style of writing is good writing practice that allows the writer get in the zone of writing.

Now that you have decided it's time to ride the wave of blogging, let us discuss some things that may jump from behind the bushes stumping you on your way to blogging success.

Choosing a name.

First of all, are you set on the name of your blog? Choosing the name of the blog you want may be the hardest challenge you'll experience yet. Yes, you can randomly choose any name for that matter but the right name can make or break your blog. You can experience a name-multiple-personality disorder when you choose a blog name that is totally different from your domain name. And the names you set on the blog/s are different from the niche topic that you have in mind. Let's take this blog as an example. Bloggityblogs can give the impression as a blog advice, tips, technique blog. When the reader comes and browses through your topic, they find different posts that are not related to your title. Through out the years, I have learned that it is essential to show the readers that your name is the theme for the blog. It allows the reader the retentive ability to categorize your blog through the name. It is also advisable to choose the same domain name as the title of the blog. It eliminates confusion.

To self-host or to sign-up under a free blog platform.

There are many options provided for starting up a blog. The first logical choice is to sign-up with a free blog platform to familiarize yourself into blogging. In the world of blogging, blogspot and Wordpress are two main versatile platforms you can use. There are hundreds of options out there where you can practice "self-publishing". Free blogging platforms allows you to register a blog in minutes. You need not buy a web address. The downside to this is that you will have an extension name behind your name: bloggityblogs.blogspot.com. When you are used to the idea of blogging on a free platform, you can transition into self-hosting. Self-hosting requires you to own your domain name. Domain name can be bought for as cheap as $10 a year. When you are ready to move to self-hosting, you can either choose a free blogging template, or buy a premium template. You can find hundreds of templates around the net. I trust SmashingMagazine.com for free templates. For cheap premium templates, themeforest.com offers them from $15 to $50. The domain host provider can set your site up for a fee or you can ask their technical department on how to set up your own blog.

Now, what?

By now you have chosen your name, bought a domain name, selected your choice of host, and you're ready to publish. You can start publishing as long as your blog site becomes live. But you will notice that the template you choose will not have all the widgets (blog gadgets) and other customisation you need. You will need a little programming skill for this. I said a little because there are tutorials all around the internet that would walk you through customizing your blog. You should familiarize yourself with CSS, html and other programming languages geared towards making your blog look yours. Do not fret. Take one step at a time. You do not need to customize the whole thing in an hour. Little steps can mean redoing your header one day, and installing statistics code the next. Browsing through different websites and blogsites can give you an idea which application and which widgets you may want in your blog. You need not add or you may add all the apps you need and want. You will learn through the time you put in your blog what your blog needs and what is unnecessary.

The last two advice you need to remember are: have fun and enjoy writing.

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Many people start their blog and pound feverishly on their keyboards, for a few months. As they see the big obstacles of publishing away their thoughts, they give up so quickly because they don't see the point in talking to thin air. Give the blog a few months and the posts usually die down or the author just fizzles out in thin air.

The author of this blog has been blogging now since 2002. The author maintains at least four blogs under her belt and has been constantly updating one blog and monetizing that same blog. You see, blogging is not just some here and there fancy. Many times when the next "in" thing comes along, it is quickly dismissed. If you decide to commit to blogging, the best motivator, or at least the next step to go is to monetize.

How do you break a non-blogging habit, constant hiatus mode, and procrastination?

Here are a few suggestions you can follow:

Rediscover your love for writing by reading.

Reading can become a source of inspiration for writers. Reading classics, news events, entertainment, religious books, pamphlets and others can be an idea starters that will push you back into your chair and write away. Do not forget to read advertisements and coupon booklets that come in between your newspapers. These coupon booklets can be a source of persuasive writing techniques you may imitate in writing paid posts in the future.

Keep an idea book handy.

Where ever or whenever you go out, keep a small notebook, pda, Iphone, or voice recorder handy. If you have a camera, stick one in your bag and use it for a point and shoot idea catcher. It is amazing how many little details in life are missed when it is not written down or recorded. The idea book does not have to be long journal entries. Keywords or key phrases that would trigger your memory when you sit to write are enough to keep you going. You will also notice that some ideas gathered through out the day may carry a theme that can be consolidated in one post.

Commit to sitting down at least 20 minutes everyday to write away.

For as much as streams of consciousness writing has gone out of mode during the last decade, it does not mean you can not use it in your personal blog. Once a blog have established a following, this style of writing is better than your readers left without anything for an unannounced number of days. The author too noticed that posts in her personal blog that are written this way gets more comments than other posts. Although this style is encouraged, it is also a must to share informative articles to your readers. To have a streams of consciousness style can invite the readers to a personal look at your thoughts but an excess of it may lose their interest at the niche topic of your blog. When you practice posting and writing, blogging eventually becomes second skin.

Sow an act and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit and you reap a character;
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.

- G.D. Boardman

How sure are you that blogging is for you?

• Are you a writer?
• Do you have a secret journal stashed somewhere?
• Do you always seek news and react to it differently than others?
• Do you see outlines of an article when reading?
• Are you an avid researcher?
• Do you love to sit and type?
• Do you see ideas that an average person might not notice?
• Do you search unusual terms on search engines?
• Are you familiar with social media?
• Do you know of any blog aggregators?
  

If you have answered at least 5 yes out of these ten questions, find a way to publish your thoughts through a blog. You are probably meant to blog.

photoby:egge.net

Why aren't you blogging?



Is it because you decided that watching that favorite movie or lounging on the couch seemed a little more comfortable than sitting on the chair and actually typing?

What are the comforts that keep you from updating your blog?

- The thought that you can always get back to writing an update when you want to, ending up with a million things better done than actually sitting down and publishing your idea.

- The left-over dinner seemed a perfect choice rather than thinking and researching and actually forming that idea in your head.

- There is fear fueled by the down-spiraling trend in your traffic that no one even reads your posts.

- Me, blogging again? I'm no expert. Who would want to listen to what I say?

- There is a simmering anger within you with which you gladly would take revenge on not touching your keyboard. You imposed a Blogging Strike on yourself.

- Do you often say I am too tire, it is all so predictable, everything is just a recycling of old ideas?

If you think, feel, and act this way towards blogging, maybe it's time to quit. If you still have that nagging feeling every time you pass your keyboard of wanting to sit down and do something to your site, peek on the latest comment, monitor your traffic, well, maybe, just maybe, you are meant to blog.

Why not sit and do it?

I did.

photo by: findmyfloridahome.net

At the time I planted our garden I was looking forward to all the yummy goodness awaiting me come harvest time. Harvest came and went and all I got were a few cabbages and a couple of cherry tomatoes. Read more at http://chocolateword.net.

I did get a bunch of tomatoes from my mom-in-law and as tomatoes go, it won't last long in the fridge and it doesn't keep in the freezer well. All I had to do was can them which took a lot of time off my blogging.

Here's the instruction:

1. Use plump red tomatoes. Firm to the touch and without worm holes. Oops, I have my myopic eye on duty. That's no tomato. I'll upload a tomato again. Here goes... .
2. One tomato won't work. Try a few buckets, say, 5 buckets. Boil a big pot of water and dip the tomatoes in it.
3. Dip only for less than a minute, you want your tomatoes firm, we're making diced canned tomatoes not tomato juice. When you see that the skin is peeling of like blisters when you get sun burnt you can take them off the water. Be sure to protect you fingers. I know, it happened to me too.
4. When the tomato is free from its skin,it is time to dice them. You can make them as big or as petite as you want, I had to dice them small for the pictures but the truth is, after 5 buckets of dicing I was ready to stuff the whole thing in a canning jar just to get done with it.
5. Get your pressure canner and wash it. I mean, I got my pressure canner and washed it from last years canning shenanigan. Make sure--see there are many make sures in this procedure, if I were you I'd just read this post and say, it is indeed better to get your piggy bank out, get a hairpin and fiddle around with the cracks. You'll get enough canned tomatoes with a few quarters and let your kid ride the coin-eater pony at the store while you're at it. I got sidetracked in the last sentence, make sure you have that thingy you put in the bottom of this humugous-I-hate-to-wash-this-big-ginormous-kettle-cooker. Here's what it looks like: . And don't let your kids play lets-pretend-we're aliens with it. It does serve a purpose. I really can't tell you what but it belongs in the bottom of the cooker.
6. Get Mason. If you're into canning, you know who Mason is, no, not the secret society/conspiracy suspected group. For those who are unsure who Mason is, here, Hi Mason, the Mason Jar. Along with it, the cap thingy and the ring. Sounds like a movie, hmmm. Let me take a break and sit infront of the tube and continue my weeklong movie marathon.
7. I'm back, I know what you were thinking, "Well, be gone for good." It's too bad, I need to finish this post. I really don't look forward to eeww eating all tomatoes for winter but as the packrat philosophy that I have sworn under, I have to, I just have to. What's next, clean the jars in warm water, boil the caps to rid of any microscopic squigleys you don't want me to describe them here. Shove the diced tomatoes in the can cap it up and place about 7 pints in the canner. Please don't write to me asking me the difference between pints and quarts, I have a foggiest idea plus I had F in Math, so there.
8. Place the lid. Duh! Did you turn on the right gas stove? Don't worry if you did, you will just have a minor fire damage from the burning potholder sitting next to the stove, and don't get anxious about burning your kitchen down, at least you can do away with cooking, at least for a while, up until your stup*d insurance gives you a brand new kitchen to work in. Did you remember to send that home insurance bill that's been sitting on your computer table for a month. Get your butt off that chair, turn this enslaving computer off and walk to the nearest blue post box. Send it off. Check the stove closing the door behind you.
9. It's 10 something something pressure using the round pressure regulator at 10. again, I don't really know how it works but it does. Set it for about 10 minutes. Easy enough, 10, 10, 10. For Lotto addicts who think they can google their lucky numbers off of the internet, here's your winning combination. Don't forget to remember reading this post after you win your 25 million. Like you would.
10. Yep, were almost done. For the ten minutes this pressure canner's been whistling in your kitchen, do something productive, link me, write a blog, open a book--I didn't say read, pretending to read is good enough, kiss you dog and pat your kids--or is it the other way around? After the ten minutes, wait until all the steam built up inside you explodes err, steam from the pressure cooker lets out and place your newly canned tomatoes in a shrine. Next stop, Potato Heaven, How not to can Potatoes.

If you got annoyed in any way in reading this post, tough luck. I don't really give a penny. If you thought it was cool, have you got anything better to do than read dumb posts, if you thought it was good, I have worst writings at Chocolateword

See ya around.