Free Writing is one of the most undervalued tools an author has in their armoury. Actually, It’s a multi-tool, and unlike many of the gadgets you come across in your local store, each of its functions are genuinely useful.
What is Free Writing
For me, free writing is the act of writing with wild, untethered abandon, where there are no rules, no restrictions and no judgement. Think of setting a puppy loose in a field after being kept in all day. He might dart one place then another, jump up and down, unable to decide where to investigate first; or he might know exactly where he’s going and spend all his time playing in one corner. Sometimes free writing is a jumble of random thoughts, and other times a clear idea takes off at full speed for the entire fifteen minutes.
Isn’t it a Waste of Valuable Writing Time?
Most definitely not. Whether you’re a successful author of twenty novels, or eagerly plotting your first whodunnit, free writing has much to offer. My first book, Hard Choices, began as a free writing exercise. I liked the idea so much, I returned to it again and again, adding more each time.
So, what are the benefits?
Warm Up Your Writing Muscles
You didn’t know you had such a thing? They exist alright and like stretching before a physical activity, they perform much better when warm and supple. The good news is that while stretching physical muscles can hurt, stretching your writing muscles is fun. Free writing wakes them up and gets the blood flowing, ready for the serious work of your novel afterwards.
Practice Makes Perfect
Like all skills, writing will only improve with practice, and your free writing sessions are the perfect time to experiment and hone your craft. No one may ever read your ramblings, so you can have fun, do the unexpected, knowing you can chuck it in the bin if you really hate it.
Quieten Your Inner Critic
Often we set ourselves high standards when writing, even when we know it’s only a first draft. A degree of perfectionism can creep in, which in turn can stifle the flow and creativity we need. The freedom we experience when free writing helps us become comfortable with lowering our standards and silencing our inner critic long enough to allow our creative muse take over and let the real magic flow. Then when you are in the midst of writing your novel, you’ll find it easier to switch into that free-flowing mode whenever you find yourself continually editing a line or paragraph.
Overcome Writer’s Block
Stuck for ideas? Often, the harder we concentrate, the less creative we become. Free writing allows us to be silly, to mix goblins with solicitors or put liquorice allsorts in a ham sandwich. Our mind relaxes and often produces the seed of a great new idea.
We Experience Mindful Writing
When writing a novel, structure and expectations come from the theme, character personalities, genre and goals. During free writing, there are no expectations, which allows us to step outside of our comfort zone without any consequences. Essentially, we focus more on the process of writing instead of the outcome we want for the story. Our writing becomes more mindful, and consequently, we become more present in the process. This is where the magic happens.
How To Free Write
Unlike the multi-tool you buy in the store, Free Writing doesn’t come with a user guide, and that in itself is the key to its charm. Like the enthusiastic puppy, it just wants to come out and play. The basic guidelines are :
- Start with a blank page
- Write anything rather than nothing, any gibberish, any crazy idea, whether related to the previous words or not
- If your mind is a blank, write that; “My mind is blank”, then follow that thought and see where it leads
- Keep going at a brisk pace; ignore spelling, grammar, punctuation & storyline; and don’t stop to google for character or place names;
- Set yourself a time limit; ideally a minimum of ten minutes and a maximum of twenty
- Write, Write, Write
Personally, I find it works best using pen and paper. If I write in Scrivener, Word or Google Drive, the automatic spelling and grammar bots highlight my mistakes. This is a real distraction and very difficult to ignore, often hampering the creative process.
An Example Of Free Writing
Here’s an example I did while writing this blog post. It is entirely new, and it’s completely unedited, spelling mistakes included.
Breathe. The blank page was flooded with words, the letters merging, overlapping, then as they slowed down, they settled into sentences. As I read, it was the story of my life, from my choildhood, up to now, and into my future.The lines scrolled as I read, magically, and I was reading it faster than could be possible. Then it was ogne. There was a man standing in front of me. Where did you go just then he said. It’s time to leave, there’s a car waiting outside. I knew I shouldnt get in the car, at least not with him. I also knew I couldnt let him know that I knew. He walked through the door ahead of me, I pulled it shut and locked it, then ran to the window and climed out into the field and ran, ran to the high wall and climbed over it. Jenny was waitng in our car, I didn;t know how but was grateful and leapt in. You’re sfae she said, thank God a she sped off. Here’s your gun. I ooked at the gun in her hand, I’d never had a gun, never owned one, what did she mean. She looked over at me, confused by the expression on my face. What’s wrong, she said, did they mess with your mind. She pulled in at the kerb. My door opened and something gripped my arm and tried to pull me out. I turned. It was Roger. Come on John, let’s go. I was confused, didn;t know where I was, then suddenly it all came back. I’m Johnathan Jones, private detectove, working for MI5 on a task force with my wife, the man in the room was a doctor who’d brain washed the prime minister to kill the cabinet duirng a meeting at 5 o’clock. I looked at my watch. It was 4:50pm. I looked around, trying to get my bearings. Where were we, had we time? A helicopter dropped down beside us, the wind from the rotros blowing sand everwhere.
Next Month
Next month, I’ll share with you some innovative ways I use free writing to help my novel writing. In the meantime, have fun.
Happy Writing!
Harry
Useful Links
#15 Free Writing’s Superpowers by Harry Brooks
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