1. What is it?

Stream of consciousness writing reads like a person’s continuous thoughts inside their head. It does not stop for deliberate plot points, etc., and can suddenly flit between ideas, just as thoughts do.

It is also called an ‘internal monologue’.

2. How is it made?

Use of first person narration	Continuous writing
Little punctuation	External stimuli leads to immediate tangents
Quick jump to new thoughts	Inclusion of memories

3. Examples

The weather this morning is quite cold, not so bright and I’m not sure whether I like it and whether I like living here, maybe I should find a new place. A dog, there is a dog barking, I think it is to the left but maybe in front, definitely somewhere in the direction of Hamish’s bakery. I never visit because he really overcharges. There are a lot of places I don’t visit around here, like the park which is just grass and bushes and mud. Perhaps moving house would be an idea. Yes, I think I should go, this month or maybe in June.

---

“Hello James.”
It was Laura, the colleague I hate. Yes, hate is a strong word, but I remember how she spoke to Metcalf at the company picnic and got the Hungerford account. What sort of person stabs her entire workforce in the back? And now here she is, all fake smiles and fake friendliness and general awfulness. Undoubtedly she wants something, because she has made the effort to talk to me. My heart sinks, because I know she has lined me up for something and 75% she will succeed. Oh well. Resign yourself to it.
“Hello.”

4. Task

Write a paragraph about walking into a party using the stream of consciousness technique.