The Case for Freewriting as Essential Practice
Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash
I was introduced to freewriting as a practice by Natalie Goldberg, in her seminal book, Writing Down the Bones. As someone who struggled to actually sit down and write, it was eye-opening to think that I didn’t need to have an idea, a scene, or a purpose in mind, other than just… writing, and seeing what came up.
So often, once we begin writing seriously, we forget freewriting exists, or downplay its usefulness. But it has many uses to writers at all stages:
It helps us warm up for a writing session - We can dump all our “stuff” that’s cluttering our mind onto the page, or just start whatever we’re planning to work on that day without the pressure of doing “real” writing.
It helps us work through sticky scenes - When we’re stuck, it can help us in two ways: one, we can work out our frustration on the page (“I hate this scene. Why isn’t it working?...” etc.) which may well lead to a breakthrough; and two, we can be as messy as we want while working out the kinks of the scene, before transferring it to the manuscript.
It helps us clarify what we want to write about - Sometimes we only have a vague idea, and we don’t know exactly what we want to say, or how to say it. In freewriting, we can work it out, with as many false starts as we need. It frees us to come up with any off-the-cuff ideas we want, and see if they produce any surprising leaps (they often do).
It lets us experiment and play with writing - When we’re burnt out, or between projects, freewriting allows us to be unserious. We’re not writing for an audience, so we can do whatever we want. No form, no rules.
It helps us overcome crippling perfectionism and procrastination - These two are often related, and freewriting forces us past those blocks by reassuring us it doesn't matter what we write, only that we write. It doesn’t have to be legible, never mind perfect.
In other words, freewriting helps us loosen up, physically, mentally and creatively. It helps us let go of our need to control the outcome. It frees us from writing for an audience with all their imagined judgements.
With freewriting, we live fully in the present moment, meeting whatever comes up with an open mind. We learn to roll with uncertainty. To relax into the creative flow, and trust the process. Often, new insights occur that go beyond what we imagined. Freewriting itself is an important part of the creative process.
There are different ways to freewrite. It helps to set a limit: a timer (for no more than 10-15 minutes), or a page limit (no more than 3 pages). Beyond those boundaries, anything goes.
I strongly encourage you to write longhand, with pen to paper. Numerous studies have shown the benefits of the mind-body connection through the physical act of forming words on the page instead of typing. It’s not as fast - and that’s part of the point.
Journal - A daily journaling habit before you sit down to write can help “info dump” all the stuff clogging your brain. It can also help work through any anxiety about the upcoming writing.
Morning Pages - The classic Artist’s Way method of writing three pages longhand, of whatever comes to mind. It is less structured than a formal journal. For Morning Pages or the Prompt below, write without stopping or deleting. Let yourself write faster than the mind can block you.
Prompt - Choose a prompt, from a book or website, and just start. You don’t have to stick to the prompt, but can use it as a jumping-off point for wherever it may take you. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar or any writing “rules.”
Copying - This is a less well-known form of freewriting, but it can bring untold benefits of forcing us out of our usual way of expression. Take a book you love, by an author you think writes well. Copy out one or two pages longhand (not typing!). This forces you to slow down, to examine word choice and sentence structure and voice. It is also incredibly dull, which is why I don’t recommend doing it for more than a couple of pages. Then, try freewriting in the style of that author. You can continue the scene, or take it somewhere new. Don’t worry about getting it “right” - let yourself play here.
Every so often, it pays to go back through your freewriting pieces and see what came up. A lot of it will be junk. That’s fine! There will also be nuggets of gold: fresh insights, images, ways of expressing yourself, ideas… you can copy those into a new notebook, if you like.
Or, you can just let your freewriting sessions be as they are. Don’t choose a formal, nice notebook, but a plain one you don’t mind getting messy in. Never look back. Toss it when done.
The great thing about freewriting is that you can make it what YOU want and need. Use the ideas above, or create your own. Let it break you open to the glorious messiness of your own creativity.
If you like this, head on over to the Contact Page and sign up to get my monthly newsletter featuring tips on creativity, productivity, and the writer’s craft.
