Accidental Genius, 2nd Edition

Chapter 17The Writing Marathon

A ten-minute burst of freewriting may be just what you need to solve a problem. Many times, though, you’ll need longer. Instead of ten minutes, you may need six or seven hours.

Yep, I’m not kidding. Hours.

The bad part of writing nearly continuously for hours: By the end, you find yourself achy and bleary-eyed. The good part: You may have written yourself into answers that had eluded you for a lifetime.

Because this technique takes a toll on both body and mind, I use it when the stakes are high. Maybe I have to generate material for a book, competitive advantages for a client’s business, or illusions for a show. A deadline invariably looms.

Here’s how the writing marathon works: Fix your subject in your mind, open ...