André Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism remains a rallying cry for writers willing to break free from the rigid structures of thought and let language flow untamed. His approach—writing in a near-trance, embracing the spontaneous, refusing to edit—challenges the way we often think about storytelling. What if writing wasn’t about control but about surrender? What if the most powerful images emerged not through careful planning but through sheer momentum?

Breton believed that true creativity lies in trusting the murmur beneath consciousness by allowing words to arrive without interference. His vision offers a stark contrast to today’s polished, market-friendly writing. For me, there is something liberating in his call to let go.

For those of us experimenting with post-digital language, AI-generated text, and hypertextual dérives, Breton’s call to trust the murmur is more relevant than ever. What happens when we let words generate themselves, follow their own rhythms, and refuse to impose a single, rigid meaning? What happens when we treat writing as an event rather than a product?

Breton might not have had AI or digital intertextuality in mind, but his vision of language as an unstable, living process feels eerily prescient.

If you’ve ever felt bound by perfectionism or struggled with overthinking your writing, Breton’s words might just be the key to unlocking a more instinctive, raw, and electric form of expression. Here’s a passage, posted by Philip Athans, from Breton’s 1924 Manifesto of Surrealism—see where it takes you.