Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time is a free writing path to crank-up your creative flow. It's one more method of keeping writing ideas available while writer's block is trashing other people's muses. It prepares you to become comfortable and ready to create. How can the four words help you?  

1. Write about a problem(s).
2. Plant lines of poetry.
3. Select any situation or news story.

A suggestion is to pick a problem that's nagging at you. Is there an issue bothering you? Often, writing offers clarity. I, for example, used the four words when writing about a situation at a previous job. I thought they were random scribbling, venting, but they spun into more.

1. It was therapeutic.
2. The sharing of it helped others.
3. My novel was a result.

You may have experienced a problem that could help others too. First, you must come to terms with it. There's no better way than writing it down. Set it aside. Re-read it.

1. Flush-out your feelings about it.
2. It could take awhile, depends on you.
3. Write an article, book or poem.

Once upon a time has no limits on where to go with it. Custom fit it to your circumstances. It's all right to laugh or cry at your words It's the process' way of bringing you through the issue(s), from my experiences. An issue can become too difficult for the moment. Stop. Return the next day. Start slowly.

1. Once upon a time, I lost a job.
2. ...my family's secret cake recipe disappeared.
3...a pet rang the door-bell.

It makes no difference what words pin-points your journey. There's no rush to finish. Remember, it's a healing process too. Put aside your "critic voice." Walk through the process at your own pace. Some days will be easier than others.

1. Write down a problem or issue.
2. Work on it until you can't.
3. Come-back tomorrow.

I've written down an issue or problem and was surprised at my reaction. I took my time looking it over. "I said that?" I asked out-loud. An appreciation for the other person's point-of-view dawned after reading how circumstances happened.

1. Everyone makes mistakes.
2. Own them.
3. Do better.

The writing path of once upon a time can be applied to fiction, non-fiction and poems. Use the process in your life where it's most needed. It spins into your starting point. Also, it has a place across all segments of life.

1. It helps with everyday problems and issues.
2. Poems are carved too.
3. Novels arrive through the process.