All You Need to Know About Word Vomit!

We often underestimate the power of the written word, thinking that writing is something for the elites to take care of. We’re too paralyzed by the harsh words of our English teachers to even pick up a pen and write anything more than a grocery list without breaking into a frenzy. We rely on the written word of others to get through our days and never consider the stories swirling within us. But word vomit is anything but glamorous. The best part is that you don’t even have to be a writer to do it and it’s the most freeing experience once you get started. So, buckle up and come with me on a journey to the magical land of word vomit.

What is Word Vomit?

It’s a writer’s best-kept secret, yet very few people know what it is. I’ve yet to find a concrete, Merriam-Webster kind of definition for it, but here’s the best one I’ve come up with so far.

A clear, lucid expression of a phrase that spews forth from an individual by either writing, typing, or reciting aloud via talk-to-text.

What the fu*k does that mean? Some can take it as jotting down meaningless words on a pad of paper or typing out nonsense onto a digital page until their fingers get tired. Both assumptions are right and are 100% valid as a form of word vomiting. But let’s dive deeper than that.

The Point of Word Vomit

Every year we endure more and more sh*t and cram the bad moments away in the metaphorical closet and turn it into “black gook”. But it gets to a point when the closet gets so full of “the black gook” that it starts seeping out of the cracks and spilling into our lives. We become short with others and less compassionate. This is where word vomiting can help.

Writing whatever comes to mind can have an impactful effect on our inner voice and give us a release for our inner baggage. Imagine having the freedom to write whatever you’re thinking without having someone hovering over your shoulder, waiting to check for mistakes. No one will ever read it but you and you can always crumple it up and toss it when you’re done just in case. For most people, this kind of freedom can have a paralyzing effect and a question might start to rise out from within as you stare at the blank page.

What do I write about?

And at this point, you have two choices. You can either scoff at the idea of wasting even one minute trying out this word-vomiting crap and go about your day, or you can take a moment, write that question down, and follow the string. Here’s an example:

What do I write about? I don’t even like writing. This is stupid. I’m hungry. And itchy. And a little sleepy. Why am I even doing this again? I want to go back to bed. I had this dream last night that I can’t really remembers but I think I was a spy or something really cool. Like a ninja. Not a ninja. Maybe a pirate? I wana be a pirate. I’m so tired of having to go to work all the time and work for money. I want to sail around the world and yell at people for their money and they hand it with shaking fear. Okay maybe I don’t want to be a pirate like that. But one piece makes it look so much fun and I wana be apart of the pirate crew damit.

All those thoughts had no purpose, no real reason for existing, and yet here they are. Taking up space in this article for the world to see. There are grammar mistakes and misspellings and even slang words thrown in there. And if it wasn’t for Microsoft Word autocorrecting some things here and there, it would look like an even bigger jumble of letters. But that’s what word vomiting is.

I touch on this explanation briefly in my article about the advice I have for new writers, but the true art of word vomit is that it has no structure or purpose. But that doesn’t mean it’s purposeless. We underestimate how much a good rant can allow us the chance to set down some of the burdens sitting on our hearts. Things we haven’t thought about in years or even that stubbed toe from Monday that still hurts a little. Even writers need a moment to just "freeform it out" when they get stuck or don’t feel like writing that day. It can be a feeling of euphoria to have your burdens slapped across the page or it can be fu*king terrifying.

For those that seem intimidated by the infinite gaze of the blank page, I have a solution to offer you and it’s 100% FREE!

I Challenge You

In the old days, I’d throw my glove at you to declare a duel. But I am currently gloveless, so I will throw something else at you instead.

Ta-da! A Free Word Vomit Challenge just for you! Now you have no excuse as to why you couldn’t get it together and try a bit of word vomiting. There are seven prompts to help kickstart your mind into whatever direction you’re feeling that day.

And when you’re done, you can come back and get the rest of them, so the fun never ends! Collect all 8!

My Humble Wish

I hope to spread the good word of word vomit as fast and as far as possible so that we can all have the power to combat the bad things that happen to us in this wild world. We all need to have the emotional strength to keep going forward and it starts by letting go of our “black gook” through word vomiting. I salute you on your journey ahead and wish you an endless flow of word vomit to come.

Until next time!

Disclaimer: Yes, to get the journal you will have to cough up your email, but I promise not to spam you with useless junk like everyone else. I solemnly swear to only send you two things. Your free word vomit journal and a follow-up email a week later to remind you about all the other word vomiting challenges that I have to offer. Nothing pisses me off more than signing up for something to get ONE THING and then I end up with an endless chain of bot-mail clogging up my inbox. This is my promise to you that I will not be that person. Pinky swears it. Besides, who has the time to write out all that copy? Not me!

About the Author

Crystal Cabrae is a storyteller who specializes in writing dystopian, romantic, and adventurous worlds for animation and fantastical fiction. She is a proud graduate of Full Sail University, AMDA, and New World School of the Arts. Her six years of acting training in both New York and Miami gives her a unique perspective when approaching her characters. She has a passion for sharing how to create stories with the world and inspiring the storyteller that lives within all of us. Follow her on IG or Pinterest to know the latest.