In this workshop we played around with language and so I was reminded of the free association activities I included in the Belonging Area of Study book I wrote for NSW HSC students. These ideas originally come to me from Hazel Smith’s The Writing Experiment.
You might also like to check out Barbara Brewster’s website - www.barbarabrewtser.com. She is available for speaking or workshops. I highly recommend her. She is a wonderful presenter and embraces the spirit of ‘play’.
What is free association writing?
When you write by free association, you write about ‘the first thing that comes into your mind’. This technique is good for exploring ideas in your subconscious and for playing with language. It can also result in an experimental text with many different meanings.
Word association by sound
What you can do
1 Choose one of the following words related to belonging or not belonging. What words come into your mind that relate to the sound of each word? Write down as many as you can think of. (Alternatively create your own series of words.)
• inhabit
• affinity
• secure
• abandoned
• place
• comfort
• alienation
An example
Word: alienation
Sound association: always, natural, station, lean, alcohol, elation, alfalfa, light
Word association by meaning
What you can do
2 Choose the same word you used in the last activity, but this time write as many other words as you
can think of that relate to the meaning of the original word.
can think of that relate to the meaning of the original word.
An example
Word: alienation
Meaning association: alone, sadness, isolation, loneliness, separate, quiet, freedom, strange
Association by disassociation
What you can do
3 Choose the same word again, but this time write as many other words as you can think of that do not
relate to the meaning of the word.
relate to the meaning of the word.
An example
Word: alienation
Disassociation: happiness, connection, jubilation, freedom, belonging, together, purpose, meaning
Combination of associations
What you can do
4 Now put all these ideas together by mixing the three strategies. When writing and combining the
ideas, try to engage the audience by showing your personal beliefs about belonging and/or not
belonging in our society. (Alternatively, come up with a different concept other than ‘belonging’ that
interests you.)
ideas, try to engage the audience by showing your personal beliefs about belonging and/or not
belonging in our society. (Alternatively, come up with a different concept other than ‘belonging’ that
interests you.)
An example
Word: alienation
Association combinations
together a purpose of freedom from alienation to belong to
jubilation without the strangeness of quietness and sadness
that connects meaning and prevents isolation natural light
breath elation free from alcohol together always lean
Putting it all together
What you can do
5 Write a paragraph of about 60–70 words using a mixture of the word association strategies. From the
previous activities, there should be some associations, sounds and thoughts related to belonging (or the
concept you have been focussing on) that you particularly like. Draw these out in your writing and try
to turn these ideas into a piece of writing. You may also incorporate traditional forms of writing. Try to
incorporate your childhood memories, experiences, senses and fantasies that relate to your perception of
belonging (or the concept you have been focussing on).
previous activities, there should be some associations, sounds and thoughts related to belonging (or the
concept you have been focussing on) that you particularly like. Draw these out in your writing and try
to turn these ideas into a piece of writing. You may also incorporate traditional forms of writing. Try to
incorporate your childhood memories, experiences, senses and fantasies that relate to your perception of
belonging (or the concept you have been focussing on).
An example
There is a strange quietness in the kitchen at the back of this old house where I have lived since childhood. I join the dots of my life from jubilation to sadness to alienation. Empty beer bottles scattered on the floor. Alienation and quietness. Nobody is home. I am free to leave the isolation and lean toward the light.
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