This week’s tip is all about freewriting. Freewriting is a technique where for a certain period of time you just write, without engaging the editing half of your brain! It takes a bit of practice and self-discipline, but well worth the effort to master. It’s just one of 50 tips that will be in the new ebook of quick writing tips I will be bringing out soon (cover image on the right). In the meantime, I hope you find this tip on freewriting useful. Thank you for watching and reading!
17. Freewriting
Freewriting is a technique where for a set period of time you sit down and just write. Continuously. No pausing, no editing. It’s a great way to write the first draft of your novel, but ten to twenty minutes freewriting every day on a different topic is a great way to get into the swing of writing.
It can help you:
- Begin if you don’t know where to start
- Practice writing
- Gain confidence
- Get disciplined
- Write from the heart
- Become accustomed to writing from your own experience.
One thing you must not do during your allotted freewriting time is correct what you have written – not even spellings. You have to turn off that internal editor and allow your creative side to get into the flow of writing. The reason for this is that the side of your brain used for creativity can not get into flow if you are constantly pulling up the logical and neat side. 🙂
Be warned: what you end up with when you freewrite may look like a mess to start with, but you can go back and edit your writing as many times as you like, if you want to. However, sometimes the value of the exercise is not in the finished product, it’s in the process.
Here are some suggestions for subjects to write about, if you would like to have a go at freewriting:
- A favourite place
- Your church
- Your ideal home
- If money was no object, what would you do tomorrow?
- Your home is surrounded by giant crocodiles – how are you going to get rid of them?
- What are you afraid of?
- You walk into a café and sit down. What happens next?
- Write about a favourite photo and how it makes you feel
- Write a letter to your eighteen-year-old self
- Describe your relationship with your father
- If you could indulge in any hobby, what would it be? Why?
- How do you feel about a current news topic?
- You are digging a hole. Why?
- Write about something funny that has happened to you
- Describe your neighbours
- Write about a book that has had a strong effect on you
- Write about your pets, past and present
- Pretend you are sitting in a dark place. What is happening?
- What do you like about yourself?
- Write to the manager of a shop where you were given bad service
- Write about two teachers; one who inspired yo and one who didn’t.
Remember to include feelings as well as facts. If you use one of these ideas a day, it will keep you busy for three weeks, but you can literally write about anything. Your imagination is the limit! Why not buy yourself an exercise book and write fifteen minutes every day? You might amaze yourself!
Hope that was useful – let me know how you get on!
Janet
P.S. The new writing course begins soon – it would be lovely to have you! You can find more information here.