Writing.Com General Discussion

Hello Julius,

I find 'Freewriting' unblocks the brain and often leads to a story I didn't expect.

The Freewriting technique involves continuous writing, usually for a predetermined period of time (often five to fifteen minutes). The writer writes without regard to spelling, grammar, etc., and makes no corrections. If the writer reaches a point where they can't think of anything to write, they will write that they can't think of anything or repeat words, until they find another line of thought.

The writer freely strays off topic, letting thoughts lead where they may. At times, a writer may also do a focused freewrite, letting a chosen topic structure their thoughts. Expanding from this topic, the thoughts may stray to make connections and create more abstract views on the topic. This technique helps a writer explore a particular subject before putting ideas into a more basic context.

Freewriting is often done on a daily basis as a part of the writer's daily routine. Also, students in many writing courses are assigned to do such daily writing exercises.

I have taught this technique to my writing club with great success.

There are several websites on the subject.

Good luck.

– Will Strunk