A Quick Note on Writing Stream of Consciousness Fiction for the Novice Writer
by Ryker J. Phoenix
Stream of consciousness is a narrative style that tries to capture a character’s thought process in a realistic way. It’s an interior monologue, but it’s also more than that. Because it’s mimicking the non-linear way our brains work, stream-of-consciousness narration includes a lot of free association, looping repetitions, sensory observations, and strange (or even nonexistent) punctuation and syntax—all of which helps us to better understand a character’s psychological state and worldview. It’s meant to feel like you have dipped into the stream of the character’s consciousness—or like you’re a fly on the wall of their mind.
Authors who use this technique are aiming for emotional and psychological truth: they want to show a snapshot of how the brain actually moves from one place to the next. Thought isn’t linear, these authors point out; we don’t really think in logical, well-organized, or even complete sentences.
Here are some tips on how to write stream of consciousness fiction:
1. Choose a character and a situation: Choose a character that you understand and can see how their personality will play out in their thoughts, feelings and reactions to situations. Set the scene and the situation.
2. Use first person narrative: Write in the first person to create an intimacy between the reader and the character.
3. Don’t filter the thoughts: In stream of consciousness, there is no filter. Every thought that a character has will be expressed on the page. Avoid editing or correcting the thoughts of your character to maintain the realism.
4. Focus on their thoughts: Stream of consciousness is all about thoughts so focus the description on your character’s innermost thoughts and their feelings rather than actions or dialogue.
5. Use repetition and the senses: Repetition is often used in stream of consciousness writing, as is describing the senses experienced by the character - what can they see, smell, hear, touch etc.
6. Include flashback: Stream of consciousness is like a memory or a dream. It may be helpful to include flashbacks, so the reader can understand the character better.
7. Use punctuation sparingly: Using stream of consciousness means following the way someone thinks, so punctuation will be more scarce. You may go without full stops or commas if the thoughts are a long series of impressions or ideas.
8. Arrange the text in an organic way: Allow the text to flow organically. There is no need for a linear plot or storyline, but the text should be divided into paragraphs or sections for readability.
In conclusion, stream of consciousness is a literary technique which involves following the random, unfiltered thoughts and emotions of a character in real-time.
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