Write Dumb- Writing Better By Thinking Less

by James Dowd

  The Braindump

  The great conqueror of so-called writer’s block, the Braindump is the most valuable tool a Writer can have, and yet it’s also most certainly the one that’s first abandoned. Simply, your Dump will be a stream of thoughts onto the page that will become your notes, regardless of what you’re writing. It’s where you input these ideas and information so as to not have to process and incubate them in your own head, because the reality of writer’s block is that If there’s no output, there was never enough input.

  Proper incubation of writing never happens in the mind, and it rarely occurs in a linear fashion. It happens on the page. If you wait for the beautiful sentence, it will never come. If you try to craft it in your brain, by the time you get to the period, you’ll have lost the beginning. Even if you attempt to craft a single short, simple email in your brain, by the time you get to the signature, the first sentence is long gone. It’s like trying to remember a phone number. Seven numbers, okay, but toss an area code on there and we’re done. How foolish of us to think we can write something without writing it down when we can’t even remember full phone numbers. That’s because your brain can only hold, process, and remember so much at a given time. As much as you believe you can create and craft an idea and it’s written form in your brain, you’re wrong. So, the more you Dump, the more opportunity you create for yourself and your work. The effort is to not ever try to write in your own brain. You have to take the dumber approach and just write it down.

  Let’s try it. Craft an email in your brain, right now, this very moment. Make it to a close friend. Make it pithy and relatable, but also make sure it solves a problem or has a clear call to action. I’ll wait…

  ….You better be doing it…

  ….I know you’re not…

  ….Ugh, fine, you suck....

  Ok, if you played along then as you considered your words and you built your message, you likely crafted something amazing, yet as you continued on, that prior sentence, that killer line you created before you moved onto the next, it certainly faded. You might not have realized it at first. You thought you were crushing it. But, when you went back to fix that great line back there, you struggled to put it back together, and just doing that made the rest of it vanish, as well. What a mess. You should have just listened to me.

  Your brain cannot comprehend and process that much information while also making it exceptional, but for some strange reason, we all still try to write in our minds, not on the page. For some reason we think we’re better than that. We think we’re so advanced in our ability to write a simple old email that we can do it in the same brain that only remembers one phone number these days. That’s why putting it all on “paper” allows you to effectively store everything. Once you accept your cognitive limitations and work from the Dump, you’re free to write more freely and wildly on the page, not in your brain.

  Better out than in, as they say.

  The Dump Doc

  This gem of a writing tool exists as a Google Doc or similar digital word processing document that allows you to write as much as you can on a topic so as to put it on the page and not try to leave it in your head. Other Dump locations include Word, iPhone Notes, email drafts, and a classic piece of paper.

  If you struggle with “writing” in any way, the Braindump is where you tell yourself that it isn’t writing at all; it’s just jotting some stuff down in a Google Doc. You can call it stream of consciousness if you’d like. I call it “taking a dump” because I’m a classy fella. But also, because calling it that is not at all glamorous of a phrase, it’s therefore more approachable, and more achievable. A Dump lets you avoid the vast blank page and that evil blinking cursor — it throws you forward into the work. With the Dump, there are no worries, no complications, no pretence, no straight lines you’re forced to follow. You’re just taking a good ol’ dump. Everyone does it! It’s your time, your space, your business. No one is watching, no one needs to know what happens, so there is no need to worry. It’s even less pressure than taking a real dump in the workplace because it’s much quieter and your pants are on, maybe.

  Ok, back to business: writing is a creative act, and all too often we see creativity as something formulaic, something that requires outlines, process, and thought. But from all my years as a Writer, creative director, and TV producer, I’ve found that taking a Dump is the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a creative process. That’s because, in its nature, it’s meant to be raw creativity flowing freely onto the page where it can be stored, processed, and edited. Look into that chaos and you will in fact start to see patterns within. That means, the only process is to allow yourself to be free, to embrace the chaos with an open mind. Once you’re taking your Dump, you’ll be shocked by how quickly you can unload all kinds of shit, and somehow end up writing whatever you intended in the process. The act of freely writing allows you to solve problems through trial & error and an overall “shotgun approach.” It’s not a targeted shot, not a linear path, but a wide and wild shot that will hit enough of the target to get the job done. It moves up and down, backwards and forwards, and every which way, and that frenetic movement is what actually drives it forward. And, regardless of its complexity and disorder, you can always come back in later with some thoughtful editing to finish off the rest of the target that you’re firing at — you don’t have to hit it dead one immediately. With a Dump, you have unlimited ammunition. (Got my NRA readers locked in now! ‘Bout time they started using their words.)

  Throughout the length of your writing project, this Dump Doc will be a source for ideas, words, and phrases. It will be full of inspiration and content for you to pull from. You’ll always be able to return to it, especially when you look to revise based on feedback. So, with the existence of this Dump, you can immediately recall those thoughts you had hours, days, weeks, months ago. The challenge then becomes, what in the hell do you do in the meantime with all this crap you just dumped out? That’s where structure comes in — the forming and reforming of creative information, because good writing is just good editing. But, we’ll cover that later in this book.

  Dumb Writing Tip #4: Don’t get it right, get it written.

  Writers struggle most to put words on the page when they obsess over crafting the most finely tuned linguistic masterpiece ever to have been written. Don’t do that. There’s too much to remember and filter. Draft & craft. Fill the page, fix it later. It all starts with the words on the screen. It all starts with you taking a big Dump.

  How to take a Dump:

  Open a new Google Doc or similar clean sheet for storing information and ideas.

  Start writing. Write everything and anything. This is your space to unleash it all.

  How much do I write in my Braindump?

  Good question. My general rule of thumb is that I give myself as much as half of my overall writing time to Dump and write freely onto the page throughout that time, which means if I estimate that I have two days to write, I’ll Dump for one, while never questioning it or feeling like I’m procrastinating. You really have to feel comfortable having nothing that looks anywhere near finished for long stretches of time. If a novel roughly takes a year, give yourself a as many as six months to focus on nothing but ideas and free-flowing Dumps. If you Dumped correctly, when you actually get into crafting that novel, you will find it already exists in raw form inside your Dump — the work is there, it just doesn’t look like it, yet. The next six months will just be cleaning up and structuring all of the ideas, plot points, dialogue, character descriptions, or whatever else you already had in there just waiting to be made sense of.

  By Dumping well, whatever I’m supposed to be writing will be in there, in some form. It just won’t be in any sort of order — only you will be able to feel it in there waiting for you, like a Renaissance sculptor seeing the statue in a piece of marble. If you have to write more, it means you didn’t Dump enough. Don’t short-change yourself by limiting the time you spend in the Dump stage. This i
s Disney’s first room, and all other rooms depend upon it, so give it time to work. Quality comes from quantity.

  People are too often scared that this collection of random thoughts will be discovered and read aloud, like a diary. But, the wonderful thing about Google docs is that you don’t have to share, and when you’re done writing, you can delete it or pretend it never existed. I have countless Google Docs stored up that I’ve never revisited, but when they were in use, they were absolutely priceless to my work. Likewise, your Dumps will not be studied, reviewed, or critiqued. There will be no autopsy or audit. They are yours and yours alone. So write freely, and treat them as the priceless canvases they are for you, the Writer.

  Additionally, Braindumps are not limited to big writing exercises, like novels or scripts. You can use a Dump sheet even for emails. Though, sometimes I overthink this and feel that Google Docs are a real investment in what I’m writing, like I’m fully committing to it once that document exists. Therefore, I use a Gmail draft. It’s smaller, feels like just an email, and therefore eliminates some of the pressure. The Notes app on your phone, email drafts, your notebook — anything can be a Dump sheet for you, so use whatever helps you complete your work.

  Dumb Writing Tip #5: Steal, but don’t like...steal.

  Let everything inspire your writing, and that means copy & pasting quotes, lyrics, poems — whatever feels like it will guide your words. Put them all in your Dump. Fill it up with other people’s ideas. Every idea is a good idea in your Dump. Fill as many pages as you can. Just be sure to use different fonts and colors in order to separate the work that you paste in so as to prevent plagiarism. If someone else has already said it, but it’s guiding your thinking and making your work better, just color it red to remind yourself that it’s not in fact your thought. Also, use the comments to make notes to yourself, like “This is a good intro!” Or, “This needs more research.” Never delete from your Dump. It was valuable enough to put it in there, so it may be valuable again later. But, as you no longer need your added comments, you can resolve them to declutter. Otherwise, comments make a great guide as your Dump may start to get heavy. (Imagine the weird search value this book is going to have when it goes digital. It’s going to be very popular in the “Writers with IBS” community. Hi, everyone! How are your butts? Good.)

  Dumb Writing Tip #6: Use shorthand.

  Remember, this is your Braindump, your notes, and no one else’s. That means only you have to understand it. So, to get ideas out faster, play with creating a shorthand language for yourself. This way, you can write faster without having to overthink or over-edit yourself. For example, whenever I’m writing a brand name or referring to a person in my Dump, I use numbers. The main subject is always 1. Secondary subjects are obviously 2. So, while working on content for the Stearns & Foster mattress company, it would have been super annoying, and taken way too much time, to write that long name out every time. But, by just writing “1” in my notes anytime I wanted to use the name, I could quickly move on to the actual idea. Plus, if I were to ever worry about someone reading my Dump, they would never understand it anyways. They’re all in some weird language that only I can read. It’s job security that way, as the working documents for all projects are coded, only unlockable by the key in my brain. (Insert sinister laugh...here.)

  Another shorthand technique is not using vowels, which is actually kinda fun because your laptop or mobile device will try to guess what you’re writing, so when you revisit it, you’re going to get a laugh from the absurdity of your notes. Jst wrtng wrds with n vwls stll mks sns 2 th brn smhw. Mst b fckn mgc. However, you might find yourself thinking too hard about not adding vowels, so instead just focus on writing as quickly as possible without any grammar or spelling holding you back.

  You can also use what I call “Christopher Walken-ing,” which is writing without any punctuation — just letting the thoughts flow without worrying about them being written correctly. This name comes from the legend that the unique cadence in his acting is due to him not reading the punctuation as it’s written in scripts, causing odd inflections points in the read.

  Whatever techniques you use to write simpler faster, the act of shortening will most certainly cause confusing mistakes in your writing. However, you’ll find that by writing it by hand (writing by hand or typing), you’ll somehow remember. The act of putting it down, whether on paper or screen, will create a mental marker to help call back your idea when you read back through your notes. The trick is to try different things and make it your own. Whatever you need to write better and faster is correct, regardless if it’s confusing or inconvenient to someone else. This is your document and your space to explore your ideas. Screw everyone else.

  Dumb Writing Tip #7: Write what you know.

  This is not the famous adage of writing only what you know. This is the literal form of writing down what you know in your brain, so beyond just a flow of creative crap plopping onto the page, put everything you know down in this sheet, EVERYTHING. Leave nothing out. Write down what you’re doing. Write the one single thing you’re trying to say and do. Write every piece of information you know in regards to this bit of writing. Just by putting it down on the paper, your brain is free to focus on what’s next, not what is or was. So, if this is for a client, write about the client. What do you know? What do you think? How do you feel? How do you think they feel? Is this a new experience for you, for them, for the reader? Everything is valuable. And, putting it on the page certainly doesn’t mean you’re committed to it. It’s just some pixels that no one will read, and that can be deleted with absolute ease.

  Dumb Writing Tip #8: Explain it like you’re a total idiot.

  We’re obviously overthinking everything in our work and lives, so by simplifying things for ourselves, even for a moment, we can finally see things more clearly. So, pretend like you know nothing. You’re an absolute moron who needs everything laid out simply. Overthink nothing, explain everything. Hit on every detail as if you’re explaining it to someone else, someone who’s not as smart as you, some fool.

  What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Where is it going? Every answer, every thought, goes on the page. Whatever you’re trying to write, write it out to yourself, in great detail, like you have no goddamn clue what you’re talking about. Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, or spelling, for now. Mistakes are not only ok, they’re great. Make countless mistakes. Make glorious mistakes! No one is paying attention to your Dump, so explain it as in-depth as possible, clearly laying it all out from an empowered position  —  someone who knows versus someone who doesn’t  —  without any fear, since no one but you will read it. You’ll probably write a good portion of your goal in the process. That’s because we easily forget how much readers prefer simplicity and authenticity over fancy prose.

  If you’re writing for a client, write about them. Who are they? What are they like? What are their challenges? Pretend you know absolutely nothing about this project and explain it, no matter how ridiculous it seems. Every detail matters, no matter how stupid. It’s almost certain that none of this will end up in your finished product, but just the act of putting it on the page allows it to be considered. It prevents us from reaching out too far without remembering where we stand, what is true, what, and whom this is all for. This is to keep us grounded. This is a guide for the work and a foundation to work from, so start simply, and don’t over-complicate things early. That only ensures things are complicated later.

  Dumb Writing Tip #9: Write your one thing.

  The Dump is the tip I most often recommend, but it’s also absolutely the thing everyone seems to forget or overlook. That’s because sometimes the act of Braindumping is considered too time consuming when a writing project is small, like an email. However, there’s a faster option. It’s like a mini speed Dump. It’s to just write the one thing you’re trying to say, in no more than a sentence. If you use ‘and’ or ‘or’ then it’s not one thing anymore. It’s two things. S
implify.

  One of the times I saw this dumb technique used immediately and effectively was at an advertising agency where I was helping the account team unlock their inner Writers, particularly through their client relations, and specifically through cutting down the amount of time they spent crafting emails to clients. One single email was being estimated to take an hour. AN HOUR! Ridiculous! A whole hour just for one email?!? What a waste of time — especially when they can call the client much faster! That’s not at all valuable to the employee who is writing and rewriting an email when they could be thinking about growing the client’s business or elevating their own capabilities as an employee and teammate. The challenge for these account representatives when it came to the Braindump was that it was time consuming, especially since the purpose was to do more with their time, not simply to do something else with it. So, I offered this Speed Dump option based on finding their One Thing.

  To get their thoughts out faster, but without converting an hour writing an email to an hour Braindumping an email, I asked them to just write down what the email intended to do — just that one line, that one sentence that expressed the reason they were writing anything at all, nothing else. They could try writing it many times in the same email draft, but each version was to be a simple expression of their intention in one sentence, no more. I prefaced that this is meaningless. It’s just to put something down on the page to work with, much like the more comprehensive Braindump. Just write it down, and we can delete it later. The first step is to actually write it, though, not have it in your head. In there, it’s worthless.