There is an idea propagated by some self-congratulatory writers that the best prose comes straight out of thin air. That is to say, you can start writing cold and somehow produce up with your best work, worthy of publication online or in print. And while I must admit that some of my best phraseology sometimes just “comes to me,” it seems unfit to ignore the other steps of the writing process. Of course any real published work, particularly those in print, go through multiple phases of revision, editing, and a final proofread. And yet, one writing technique I feel is often ignored is what I term the “warm-up essay.”
I find myself relying on a warm-up essay whenever I feel compelled (for reasons of gainful employment or otherwise) to write, but somehow cannot establish the right mentality to produce a cogent first draft. It is my tabula rasa for creating something new, even though I may only have a vague premonition of what that “new” thought will be.
The beautiful thing is that warm-up essays need not be about anything in particular. In fact, sometimes they aren’t about anything at all. Or else they could be about any of a plethora of sundry topics: the weather outside, what I did yesterday, random observations and musings. Regardless, the one true hallmark of a warm-up essay is that it is never intended for publication. Rather, it is a blank canvas for a writer to establish a habit of writing and thinking in a certain way before one sets about completing more serious work.
Writing a warm-up essay can be remarkably freeing: without any particular agenda, you might find yourself creating some interesting turns of phrase or recording observations you incorporate into later works. But if you find yourself coming up with nothing of decent quality at all, you are no worse off than you were before. On the contrary, you are better practiced for having spent time thinking and writing and “warming up.”
While there is no wrong day to employ a warm-up essay, I often find the best days are those after long weekends or holidays when I find myself out of the habit of regular writing. As someone who writes for a living, I sometimes feel myself getting a bit rusty if so many days have passed since I have last composed an essay. At these moments, the warm-up essay draws me back, primes the intellectual pump, and reestablishes the important routine of writing regularly.
So the next time you find yourself stuck with your writing, I encourage you to try a warm-up exercise. No need to share it with anyone, simply write down what you think because you can. Then you may be surprised where the next few paragraphs take you.