To Write: Use Looping to Narrow Your Focus
K. Wordbird Bate  The Writer’s Coach

     Today I’ll teach you a fabulous and fun method you can use to either choose a topic or to narrow down the focus of a piece you’ve already written. I have used it for years, taught it to many, and I think you will love it.

     Looping was developed by two married writing instructors, back in the seventies. Regrettably, I have completely forgotten their names. I first learned to Loop in my graduate school days so I could teach my University students. I see on the Internet that their concept, “Looping” has now become a mainstream idea many utilize and claim. That happens. We should always give original authors credit, where we can. I see a book called Writing With Power by Peter Elbow I might recommend. It is about free writing, and techniques to focus, including what he calls “loop writing.” 

Here’s how Looping works:

1.  Write.

2.  Choose a word or sentence from your writing.

3.  Put that at the top of a blank page.

4.  Write about that.

5.  If you desire further focus, repeat.

     Simple! You will be amazed how helpful it is! I would say that MOST of the time, if you (or a publisher) are unhappy with a piece of writing, the problem is your focus is too broad. You’re trying to say too much, about too much.

     Now do not constrain your Free Writing. It is for glorious spilling out of everything that comes to your mind. Looping is for when you are ready to narrow things down.

     I’ll give you an example, using Free Writing, though this will work with all narrative text, at any stage. Just pull out a sentence or topic theme, and write the next Loop. You must pull out an exact topic or sentence though, from the writing, or the narrowing will not happen.

Step 1: Write.  

Free write 15 minutes:

So I’m free writing awaynot paying attention to punctu this is  all about letting my creative mind have the floor so my creative mind is thinkig about Skipper the sheepdog my aunt used to bred sheep dogs shehad this one wow gorgious what a Coat she used to show dogs and I think she always had four or five dogs arond the house I showed my cat once…

(If you found yourself editing my free writing, take note. Learn to turn off that helpful yet sometimes overbearing inner critic, until it is needed.)

Step 2:  Choose a word or sentence from your writing.

     I have many choices for my first Loop. Aunt, sheepdog, bred sheep dogs, dogs around the house, cat, showed my cat or even “letting my creative mind have the floor.” I will   choose Skipper the sheepdog, as highlighted above.

Step 3:  Put that word or sentence at the top of a blank page.

Step 4:  Write about that.

Skipper the sheepdog

Skipper was a beautiful and friendly dog he was one of six in a littter my aunt jane bred from Skippers parents andy and Sophia I don’t remember Sophia frankly but I remember Andy he was HUGE and knocked over the kids who came by to say hello to him…

     You see how immediately my topic is far more specific? More specific means more compelling.  My story is not about any old dog in some aunt’s house. It isn’t about dogs, dog shows, cats, cat shows as well as aunts. It is now about Skipper and his parents Andy and Sophia, in Aunt Jane’s house.  

     I can stop here and write my piece. Or, since Skipper is still a big topic, or if I want to explore the topic further, I can do another loop. I will use the sentence that most pops out at me: I remember Andy he was HUGE.  A second loop will be about that sentence.

     Thus, I go from a super general meandering, to Skipper and his parents in an aunt’s house, to specifically Andy the big sheepdog. I am far from where I started and far from where I thought I was headed. I can feel my excitement about this story. By narrowing it down, I begin to bring it alive. If I am excited to explore more about Andy, my readers will be too.   

     Looping. Give it a try. I’ve published some of my best work out of a loop.

Let Yourself Bloom!

© Kimberly Bate

Photo by sgrais