10...9...8...

My first writing exercise will be a ten minute free-write, after which I will correct for spelling and grammar. The rules are to write for ten minutes without stopping or fixing for mistakes. I've already slapped backspace a half a dozen times and find it a bit more difficult than I had imagined, to type without taking a break. Occasionally, I'll pause and look for a key and think I'm stopping to think about what should follow. I keep backspacing when I notice a mistake in my typing, a difficult habit to break, for sure. Also, there's a glowing red line below occasionally from two sentences ago because I butchered its spelling, and that demonic line is driving me crazy. I can't bear to look at the screen, keeping my eyes on the keyboard , which affects my typing. The trick with this free-write exercise is to avoid your own head and let words come out naturally. I can't seem to figure this one out.

I chose not to follow any more stringent guidelines for my first exercise because I haven't made much effort in writing recently and thought it was more important to mount the challenge of making a fool out of myself on the blog by posting some foolish drivel that never ends. I assume you could always continue on your e-way once this bores you. It's more of a meditative and personal effort, this free-write stuff. I'm simply working on keeping familiarity with writing. I hope I don't run out of ideas with three minutes left to go.

I have read the rules for different free-write exercises and believe I'm supposed to reveal my thought process on the page (or web page), and I must admit, it's unnatural for me. I've always worked sentences out in my head before committing the to paper. Another confession, I've paused twice now in this paragraph alone and think I may need to keep practicing this exercise. And I'm sick of writing exercise over and over again. I want another word. I'm nearly finished with this, in the last minute, and I'm racing to get it done, pause, comma, drivel. That's the one problem I have with free-write: regardless of its worth or value, I'm writing for a time limit and cannot stop to improve.

P.S. All errors made during the session were later edited to save myself the embarrassment.