Cathartic Writing – Writing as therapy

Deep within lurk emotions that you wish not to see. Writing brings to the conscious mind clarity of those emotions.

For cathartic writing, you can write ‘dark’ or write ‘light’; it all comes from the same place, and it is all good writing practice.

Writing dark is an exploration of within, about things that you do not usually let out. It’s better to bring the dark into the light, rather than to keep it buried – let your shadow emerge. One shadow-side text I wrote caused my brother to comment, “Patrick, you are not a well man”. His comments did not matter, as I was in a frame of expansion.
The deeper you navigate the more will emerge. This writing can be likened to the ‘dark night of the soul’ for creative people.

For this writing do not write with the conscious mind, write from the infinite self. When you compose from your authentic self, you pass through dreams of your own making.

Many find their way to the world of writing through self-reflection with a pen in hand. This introspective journey is not only pivotal for personal development but also serves as fundamental training for honing one’s writing skills. However, once the well of introspection is seemingly tapped (if such a point exists), a natural shift occurs, prompting scribers to direct their focus outward and delve into more external subjects.

The initial phase of introspection typically caters to personal interest, although the insights gained from this process can occasionally benefit others. On the other hand, the subsequent stage of writing involves an external focus, where the author’s words have the potential to not only captivate but also aid, amuse, and entertain an audience. Amor Towles, American novelist challenges the conventional notion of ‘entertainment’ in this context, advocating for a more profound connection with readers through the term ‘engagement.’ According to Towles, “The objective is not merely to amuse but to deeply involve and connect with the reader on a meaningful level.”

An example of cathartic writing:
My Brother John

It was only years later that I ascribed my daydreaming to the German who locked me in the dunny for hours on end.

Dunny is a lovely Australian word, meaning an outside toilet. This dunny, like all dunnies of the period, was a tiny-matchbox room, invariably made with wooden slats and a tin roof. All seemed to have rickety doors and spider webs in the corners. Dunnies were far enough away from the house so that an incoming breeze would not spoil meals. Yet not so far that it was a ‘trek’ – who wants to wake up in the middle of winter and traipse way up the garden?

Yes, after Mom absconded, Dad left my brother and me in the not too good care of a countryman of his. I call him the German because as I was only three at the time, I cannot remember his name. We stayed with him and his family on their farm, out back of Sydney.

The German did not like me and seemed to take delight in demonstrating this. One of his favourite pastimes was to lock me in the dunny whenever he went out. Whilst incarcerated, my brother John was given strict instructions not to let me out, otherwise he would regret it. Knowing the German, John was too petrified to buck the command.

I remember one such time; perhaps it was not just one time but all the times that a small child roll into one. I must have sat in that box all day. To start with, slithers of sunlight shone through the slats from behind me. Many daydreams later they were in my face, with dust particles dancing in the shafts of light.

I sat on the closed seat, otherwise, being just a little thing I would have fallen in. The wood became hard after a while and hurt my bum. Of course, there was no food, no water. I don’t recall what went through my mind as the hours passed. I do however remember my brother – not once would he leave my side, or rather the side of the dunny. If I was about three, he would have been five. We did not talk, as he was the silent type. But, if suddenly I would ask, ‘John, are yer there?’ there would always be the reassuring answer, ‘Yeah.’ His support was my solace.

Two hours later: ‘John, ya there?’

‘Yeah mate, I are’. He never wandered away or faltered in his vigilance to support his little brother. How my five-year-old brother took on this duty I’ll never know, but I’ll always be grateful.

Analyse the above piece. Did it grab and hold your interest? Why did it, or why not? Did you notice the dialogue, that of young, rural Australian children? But what about the cathartic aspect? Do you think the writer managed to express his emotions?

Tips for cathartic writing:

• Try writing as if your soul holds the pen.
• Your inner self wants to reveal itself, give it the space to do so.
• Your pen knows what to write – don’t interfere.
• Remember, the first thing that you write about is the thing that you most want to express.
• Write as if you have nothing to lose – you have much to gain.
• Cathartic writing can be painful. Try to identify resistance, like feeling silly.
• Remember, it is all about discovery.
• Writing will clear and clarify.
• When writing about yourself, scan how you feel and put this down on the page.
• Cathartic writing forces us to be present and pay attention to the happenings in our own little world.

if you are one of my blog students, you can get a 20% off my book How To Transform Words Into Stories – A comprehensive guide to write, promote & sell your book.