The Power of Word Association
My mom and I love word games.
When I was growing up, cell phones were not as ubiquitous as they are now, and thus the ever-present scrolling through social media or playing games of Candy Crush were not options. When my brothers and I were faced with stretches of time, such as waiting for doctors' appointments or long car rides, my mom turned to word games.
Word games to play
My mom is an absolute creative wizard. Having been raised by an elementary school teacher, my mom looks for inventive and fun ways to make the mundane exciting. This extended to word games. She had a whole treasure trove of games: "A is for Alice," a game in which we went through the alphabet naming names, activities, and interests for each letter; "I'm Thinking," a 20 questions variant that did not limit us to only 20 questions; and a personal favorite, "Word Association."
"Word Association" was hardly a game of my mother's invention, but I looked forward to playing it nonetheless. She would name a word, and we'd respond with a word that we associated with the first word. We tried to go as quickly as possible, naming the first thing that popped into our heads. I loved it. I loved being challenged to be creative, figuring out how far we could take the original word and tracking what twists and turns of association developed. This waiting room game was the perfect preparation for both my future as an improviser and as a writer.
How to use word association to develop your brand story
When I begin a new writing project, I often start with word association. I will choose the word that I deem the most important from a prompt or assignment, and I will write it at the top of a piece of paper. Then, I will set a timer for 2-3 minutes and write down every word I associate with the initial word. Sometimes, the words all relate back to the initial prompt. Other times, the words form a chain reaction in which the initial thought evolves into something totally different, like a game of Telephone. I once started with the word "light" and ended with "milk carton." I'm still not sure how I got there.
Not every word will be useful. I can't say that "milk carton" helped me to write a response to "tell me about a time you connected with your inner light," but by using word association, my creative juices got flowing. It's also possible that the words in the list will spark memories of stories that can form the basis of an essay, post or application answer. Many of these brainstorming sessions brought back stories from the depths of my past; stories that I thought were long forgotten. It's exciting to uncover these old memories, regardless of whether or not I use them for my project.
Applying word association
I have found this technique useful for fiction or non-fiction -- for my personal writing or for writing applications or assignments. When I begin with word association, my writing is more creative, and the process is infinitely easier. It also helps me go deeper into a subject because I have thought about connections within the material. By quickly associating, I stop overthinking, and I trust my brain to fill in the picture.
Making writing a game takes a bit of the pressure off, and it allows you to express yourself more freely. By going quickly, you don't have time to judge yourself, and your imagination can flourish.
The next time you have a project to complete, try a bit of word association. Pick one word from the prompt or assignment, and write it at the top of your page. Then, set a timer and make connections. You may not use all of the words you write, but they will help free you from the daunting task of finding the perfect word.
Who knows, maybe you needed to write about milk cartons after all.
Try word association this week. Did it help your writing process? Spark a memory? Did making writing a game loosen up your writing process in anyway? Let me know about writing success or pitfalls. I'd love to hear how this works for you!
