I cannot tell you how many times I have put off writing because I couldn’t get started. I either have no ideas, or I have ideas but feel paralyzed when I try to write them down. It’s as though the ghosts of my grade school teachers are floating near me, holding red pens, ready to attack the first word I drop on paper. For me, starting is the most challenging part of writing. The purpose of freewriting is to free me from my ghosts and internal critics so I begin creating.
what is it and how does it work?
The philosopher Cicero was privy to the sometimes tricky task of writing. He broke it down into five parts:
- Invention–coming up with ideas.
- Arrangement–organizing those ideas
- Style–injecting grammatical and syntactical flair
- Memorization–memorizing your work (something we rarely practice anymore)
- Delivery–presenting your work orally for an audience.
Sometimes I put the horse before the cart and worry about organizing and styling my stories before I even write them! Overthinking the task at hand leaves me feeling anxious and unmotivated. But freewriting focuses my attention on what matters most: getting started.
Freewriting is part of inventing. It helps you get words on paper by writing nonstop, uninhibited for a set time, usually five to ten minutes. Those words may or may not be relevant to your ultimate writing goal or assignment. But if you’re having difficulty getting started, freewriting can spark some ideas.
directions
- Set a timer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Start the timer and begin writing nonstop, whatever comes to your mind no matter how silly or strange. If you can’t think of anything, write, “I am writing. I am writing. I am writing,” until a new thought pops up.
- Refrain from self-editing.
- Drop your pen and shake out your hand when the timer sounds.
- Read what you’ve written, and notice if there’s something you can use or something that’s curious or insightful.
the benefits
Freewriting has its perks. Let’s look at a few of them.
- It’s therapeutic. I had a professor who would always say, “Write your way out of a problem.” Freewriting is the strategy to do that. When you’re angry, confused, scared, or undecided, try freewriting about the situation. As I do this, I always feel a physical release, like I’m kicking a punching bag. And once I’ve read my thoughts, I gain insight into solving my problem.
- It’s a springboard. What you produce in five to ten minutes can catapult your story, especially if you had no idea what to say.
- It’s an idea bank for future tasks. Not everything you spill out during a free-write will be immediately useful. But that doesn’t mean those thoughts will never be helpful. Those ideas could include the genesis for your future writing tasks.
- It builds confidence. When you make freewriting a regular part of your writing process, you feel like a boss because you know that you’re in control. You’re no longer a target for your internal critic or a hostage of your anxiety.
- It reminds you that writing is a process. Many people forget that first drafts are not meant to be final drafts. Freewriting tells you that you don’t need to get it perfect on the first shot.
Have you tried freewriting? How did it work for you?
