A freewrite is a writing exercise that helps you write a interesting paper or essay. You should only freewrite for ten to twenty minutes and its compiled of whatevers on your mind or a specific topic. A lot of people edit while they write but a freewrite is a good way to let of this bad habit. Editing while you write will make your paper choppy and incoherent unlike a flowing freewrite which is more pure and carries your personal writing fingerprint.
When writing a freewrite sometimes you write something that has more feeling or a deeper meaning then the editing while you write method because it came out more based on felling rather than over thinking which creates a much stronger point or arguement. After practicing freewrites over a good period of time the coherent, sensible writing will start crossing over into your regular writing and your words will flow together to make a more effective essay.
I found it very interesting that when you freewrite sometimes you come up with "less random, more coherent, and highly organized" (pg 4) writing. I usually over think things and edit while I write so this chapter from Writing Without Teachers by Peter Elbow really hit home with me. I found the idea of keeping a freewrite journal intriguing so I plan to keep one hereafter.
Hi Brian,
ReplyDeleteIt's counter-intuitive to think a freewrite, which is incredibly informal, will help writers produce stronger formal essays and become better writers. The point you make about not editing is important. Writers often edit as they go, but they don't realize that the act of editing interferes with the generation of ideas that first needs to happen before an essay can be written.
Editing should happen in our writing, but not until the end of the writing process, after ideas have been first generated and later organized into an essay.
Thanks for your insights.
Take care,
Lauren
Brian,
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that you mentioned that a freewrite is more pure. I strongly agree because when you're writing in such a disorganized manner, you're not constricting yourself to the rules of writing. What you're putting on paper or typing up on a computer, isn't heavily edited or scrutinized. Those words are just coming straight from your brain. There's nothing in between the process, it's purely putting your thoughts out there. Some thoughts maybe be garbage, some may be genius, but in the end, it's all there in front of you.
When I write my essays I over think A LOT and it always turns out to be this robotic piece of garbage. I like that you were saying freewriting has a lot of feeling because I found this true as well.
ReplyDeleteBrian,
ReplyDeleteI love how you used that quote from the book! You are right a freewrite is more pure because its what comes out from us then when we have to write an essay on a certain topic like a novel. Freewrites are like little ideas that are useless and then once we go back we make them into something extraordinary! Good idea on a journal!
Xochilt