The Point of Pointless Writing

Writing pointless drivel and why you should do it

“Ooh that’s spicy,” I whisper to myself, writing the last line in a 3000 word ramble about nothing. Was the line actually ‘spicy?’ 

No. Not at all. 

However, did it have some kind of influence on my emotional state for the rest of the day? 

Yes. 

That was last night after a stressful exam  at approximately sometime between 11 p.m. and when a trucker has to get up. My brain was fried and scrambled, but too buzzed to sleep due to the test I bombed, so I opened up a google doc and just began to ramble. It was some long and pointless drivel about a non-romance between two people who should never have interacted in the first place. 

Was it good?

Absolutely not. 

Did it make sense to me when I reread it? 

Not at all.

Did it give me joy?

Yes.

One could make a genuine argument that my late night exercise in creativity was pointless, yet I disagree—even if only to justify the time I spent on it. There was a sense of catharsis to it, writing about the misadventures of my character and her regrettable love life, caught between a Mitski fan and a Fetty Wap fan, one of which I have written to be the obvious better choice. Why she didn’t choose the Fetty Wap fan, I will never know, despite being her creator. Yet, in this interpersonal drama that’s not even remotely comparable to my parched personal life, I felt almost as if I was venting. I eventually figured it out— the constant between us is the stress of young adult life, not the drama. It’s the way I can feel my outlook bleeding out on the page, and the way that my investment in the writing keeps me from judging myself the way I normally would.

Personally, I think everyone should try it, regardless of their skill level at writing. Put on your favorite song and just write, write whatever finds its way into your brain, and trust me, turn off your filters.

You may wonder, why not just journal?

There are some things even journaling can’t convey. You’re personal, baring yourself to the pages, and therefore are critiquing yourself even if you don’t know it. By writing a story based on your whims and impulses at the moment, the image of yourself on the pages is sharper. The information gleaned from the plot of your imagination tells more than a personal entry ever would. This is the kind of unfiltered writing that is not meant to be shared or viewed by anyone but yourself, a first draft you’re not meant to edit. 

That’s the point of pointless writing. It is in human nature to create, to express yourself. Allow yourself that freedom and let yourself go. Let yourself reveal whatever is hidden through the most pointless words you have, only for your own consumption. For me, this process is a form of self care, where I see the most of myself and where I give myself the kindness not to judge. I want everyone reading this to allow themselves that same kindness. 

Happy writing!

• creativity
• pointless writing
• writing