✍️ What is a "Beach Write"?
or, This is What Writing for Fun Looks Like
I have a friend who has struggled with her writing the last several years. It’s been difficult to watch because she is such a great writer. I gave her some feedback on a couple of short stories that went on to be published. She managed a literary journal in which she helped others get published, too. She knows her stuff.
Yet she has told me that she feels uncomfortable calling herself a writer.
I see that changing lately. With her permission, I want to share her story with you in broad strokes because the way she is overcoming that struggle involves many of the tactics I’ve been espousing all this time.
Say “Yes” to Less Stress...
I’ve gone out with this friend to a café a couple of times to do some writing for an hour or two. It’s great for me – I find that the occasional change of scenery helps spark creativity. For my friend, it seems to be exactly what she needed to get herself back into writing mode. I’m happy for her, and because I am who I am, I poked my nose in to ask what she was doing that’s making her so successful. It boils down to this:
She is writing what she calls a fluff novel – a guilty pleasure novel that is apparently a guilty pleasure to write, too!
She refuses to think about getting it published, and says that she’d be very happy just to finish it.
She refuses to even think about editing it. The plan is one draft, and then lock it away.
So what’s the result?
She’s writing regularly and making progress where there hasn’t been progress in years.
She finds it’s a great escape.
She’s exercising her writing muscle.
She’s not second-guessing anything about the novel (a loop that I seem to be stuck in myself).
When she started, she said, “Maybe I am a ‘writer’ after all.”
She’s having fun.
What’s My Point?
When she told me all this, I realized that she’s doing all the things I keep saying could work for writers who are stuck for whatever reason. I am not claiming any part in her success – I believe she found this path on her own, and kept with it because it’s working for her. But it struck me that she’s showing everything I’ve been telling, so I wanted to share that with you.
You might call this approach a “beach write”. We’ve all heard of beach reads, those easy books you take to the beach that are light, breezy, and fun. Why not a beach write? A simple, easy book that you write just for the joy of it and to pass some pleasant time? Simply sit down – even at a beach, if you like – and just start putting one word down after another. See where it takes you. If it takes you nowhere, that’s fine too. In fact, it’s kind of the point. Feel the wind in your hair and smell the sea air as you put down word after word after word...
The other reason why I’m excited about this term is because it also conjures the image of writing in the sand. That’s the perfect image — temporary writing just for fun that will be washed away with the next wave or tide.
For the record, I’m not sure my writing friend would characterize her work as a beach write. But it all clicked into place for me when I thought of it this way. Whatever she calls it, the approach has made a big difference for her. She has designed a writing system that works for her because there is no pressure whatsoever:
No pressure, because she doesn’t plan to publish.
No pressure, because it’s a “fluff” novel – a guilty pleasure.
No pressure, because she doesn’t have to worry about plot or story or character development or anything.
No pressure, because she just wants to write for fun – because she is writing just for fun.
Creativity doesn’t always work when we’re under pressure. Even if it does, there are certain pressures that are worse than others. We need to be free to create, not indentured to write certain ways in a certain amount of time. If you ever wondered what that looks like, this is it.
I know that once she’s finished, she’ll have people telling her to revise, polish, and publish. If she does, I’ll fully support it. But I suspect that she may just keep to her original plan and lock it away somewhere. If she does, I’ll fully support that, too.
Maybe this is her Zero Draft. Maybe it’s a beach write. But whatever it is, it got her writing now. That’s a win no matter how you look at it.
Key Takeaway: A beach write takes away the pressure and helps you start rolling as a writer. Plan to not publish. Plan to not edit. Plan to do nothing but write and escape and have fun.
Over to You: Have You Ever Written a Beach Write?
Have you ever just written for fun without worrying about where it’s going to go? How did that work for you? Did you feel less pressure? Did you get more done? Did you learn something else? Let us know in the comments below!
This week’s video is literally writing in the sand and lasts about 25 seconds, which I believe proves the point quite nicely.
Until next time... keep writing with wild abandon!
~Graham
email me if you get lost.
I tried my hand at a fantasy project a couple years ago. I didn't make any fancy maps, there was next to zero world building, I just let myself imagine the most outlandish events to take place on the hero's journey. I let my significant other come up with names for new animals. I remember allowing myself to introduce things (animals, plants, characters etc...) into a scene and just letting my main character follow it to see where my brain could take the story. It now sits in a file on my computer, completely unfinished and unrefined...I might go back to it some day.
Love this! Thanks for sharing her story.