FREEWRITING EXERCISES FOR YOUR GROWTH AS A WRITER

Freewriting is as essential to the writer and wannabe writer as scales are to the musician.  There needs to be the opportunity to practice – practice – practice – without having to produce what you believe is some fabulous product.

Peter Elbow says in Writing With Power,  "If you can view freewriting as an exercise to help you to grow in the long run rather than give you good writing in the short run, then you can use some of the good pieces that freewriting sometimes produces." (p.17)

It's really important to be honest with yourself if you're going to do freewriting.  It's not enough to say to yourself that you do not expect to use your freewriting as a finished or almost finished product.  Rather, you must actually believe (how important BELIEF is) that you are simply freewriting.  Simply letting your hand be guided by your spontaneous mind.  No thinking.  No stopping.  Not for at least 10 minutes so you can have enough time to see what it is that you're really thinking.  Long enough for you to know if you're done freewriting or if you need to continue on.

People who play an instrument may not practice scales routinely, or frequently, or at all.  They may only play the pieces they enjoy.  That's okay.  But, for the musician or wannabe musician, growth is part of who they are.  And, so they WILL practice their scales.  Likewise, freewritings are the scales that lead to the growth of a writer.

Why not freely enjoy freewriting?