The Benefits of Freewriting
Why it’s so important to get out of your own way
I haven’t posted much lately because I’ve been heads-down, revising a novel I wrote at the end of last year.
But, as I spend day after day reading and reworking scenes, improving character depth, and fixing plot holes, I’ve noticed something worth sharing:
To get to this point in my revision, I had to get what I wanted to say on the page, even in rough form.
Writing is a blend of personal and professional styles and techniques. But it does you no good to say you are a writer if you don’t actually write anything.
It’s a simple concept, sure. You put words on paper or on the computer screen. But anyone who has stared into the abyss and struggled to formulate even a single thought knows the mind plays tricks on you in the time between creative thinking and formative action.
The trick to breaking this self-induced suffocation?
Freewriting.
Sometimes called “free association” or even “brainstorming,” this is simply the act of letting the words fly from your fingertips without questioning what you are saying or if the words you are using are correct.
