260:
problem-solving heuristics, writers can use free writing not only to generate raw material but also to transition those ideas into organized, coherent thoughts with clear objectives. This approach positions free writing as a dynamic and non-linear activity, offering strategies for writers to refine their content, tackle common writing challenges, and enhance their overall composition skills. Free writing is considered a technique within the iterative development process, valued for its potential to encourage creativity, enable personal expression, and contribute to the development of structured texts. This perspective expands the conventional understanding of free writing in educational and personal settings, suggesting a multifaceted role in writing practices.
117:, and makes no corrections. If the writer reaches a point where they can't think of anything to write, it is presumed that they will continue to write about whichever ideas come to their mind. The writer is free to strays off topic and let thoughts lead where they may. At times, a writer may also perform a focused freewrite, letting a chosen topic structure their thoughts. Expanding from this topic, the thoughts may stray to make connections and create more abstract views on the topic. This technique helps a writer explore a particular subject before putting ideas into a more basic context.
80:(1934), she advises readers to sit and write for 15 minutes every morning, as fast as they can. She argues that doing so for just 15 minutes helps writers to avoid having the feeling of commitment. Instead of believing that writing can become dull, writers can compromise for as little as 15 minutes to liberate ideas and put them on paper. She also argued that this practice would help authors to not fear blank pages when they start to write.
90:(1973). He pointed out the importance of writing as a liberating activity. Mentioning that when “freewriting” the author can break any restrictions they may have when writing. He pointed out that when writing in regular basics one is extremely focused on the mistakes and avoids certain words or ideas for fear. Instead, freewriting promotes writers to produce ideas more quickly because they forget to edit as they write.
325:
228:. While Kerouac's "rules" are elliptical and even cryptic for beginning writers, they are more comprehensive than Goldberg's for those who have practiced prose writing for some time. Kerouac supplemented these with his Essentials of Spontaneous Prose, and together they form the basis of his prose writing method, a form of narrative
296:
Personal free writing is the practice of writing what one is thinking without considering organization or grammatical errors. In a study done by Fred McKinney, free writing was defined as letting one’s thoughts and words flow onto paper without hesitation. This can be done in the format of letters or
276:
The effectiveness of free writing remains a disputed topic within the field of writing studies. Charles Piltch expressed concerns that the lack of time for preparation before writing may produce work that is not suitable for academic settings. Furthermore, Piltch notes that students who practice free
287:
also criticizes free writing for its emphasis on personal voice at the expense of engaging with the broader academic discourse. He argues that this focus can prevent students from adequately preparing for the complexities of academic writing, which demands critical engagement with tradition, power,
263:
Peter Elbow also emphasizes free writing as a crucial tool for facilitating both creative and critical thinking, highlighting its role in the writing process. Elbow's distinction between 'first-order' and 'second-order' thinking in writing showcases free writing as a tool that initially facilitates
277:
writing are more reluctant to revising or editing their work and often produce insincere writing. Raymond
Rodrigues argues that free writing minimizes the role of skilled instruction in writing studies and wrongfully equates fluid writing to good writing. The research presented in George Hillock's
301:
suggest privately free writing about emotions and past events for a few minutes every day may be beneficial to those that are healing from trauma or emotional disturbances. Past research implies free writing about emotional events may even be an effective form of therapy. Researchers even suggest
312:
positions free writing as a critical discovery tool within the writing process. Free writing plays a key role in this exploratory process of using language to uncover and articulate the meaning within one's experiences. It facilitates a dynamic interaction between the writer and their language,
130:
The free writing technique emphasizes spontaneous, continuous expression, aiming to liberate thoughts and overcome writer's block, without concern for grammar or structure. This is different from David
Bartholomae's approach to writing that emphasizes teaching students to engage critically with
267:
There are several mental processes integral to writing, like goal setting, planning, and problem-solving. Free writing fits into this framework as a problem-solving technique by facilitating these processes in an unrestricted environment. This approach enables writers to explore ideas freely,
259:
and John R. Hayes, provides a framework for understanding free writing beyond its traditional context. This perspective suggests that free writing can serve as a foundational step in a multifaceted cognitive process that includes critical thinking and strategic planning. By incorporating
313:
enabling them to experiment, reflect, and ultimately refine their ideas into coherent messages. Through free writing, writers can navigate the complexities of their thoughts, leading to clearer understanding and effective communication in all aspects of writing.
167:
about deadlines, fear of failure or censure, or other forms of resistance. The accepted rules of free writing enable a writer to build up enough momentum to blast past blocks into uninhibited flow, the concept outlined by writing teachers such as Louise Dunlap,
131:
academic texts and discussions. This structured method focuses on helping students develop their ability to write well-argued and coherent academic papers, encouraging them to connect their work with existing scholarly literature.
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The writer should pay no attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, neatness, or style. Nobody else needs to read what they have produced here. The correctness and quality of what is written does not matter; the act of writing
403:
Song, Minjong. (1998). Experimental study of the effect of controlled vs. free writing and different feedback types on writing quality and writing apprehension of EFL college students. ERIC Document
Reproduction Service, ED 423
54:. While free writing often produces raw, or even unusable material, it can help writers overcome writing blocks and build confidence by allowing them to practice text-production phases of the writing process without the fear of
101:(1992). She presents the method of “morning pages” which demands that the author write three pages every morning to get ideas out. She saw this as a helpful technique to combat the blockages that writers may have.
209:
If the writer gets off the topic or runs out of ideas, they should keep writing anyway. If necessary, they can write nonsense or whatever comes into their head, or simply scribble: anything to keep the hand
216:
When the time is up, the writer should look over what they have written, and mark passages that contain ideas or phrases that might be worth keeping or elaborating on in a subsequent free writing session.
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even a personal notebook. Previous research suggests that personal free writing about emotional or traumatic events can lead to improvement in physical and emotional health. Studies done by
268:
potentially enhancing their ability to tackle writing challenges by tapping into their cognitive resources without the constraints typically associated with more structured writing tasks.
202:
The writer should keep their hands moving until the time is up. They should not pause to stare into space or to read what they have written. They should write quickly but not in a hurry.
288:
and authority. Bartholomae suggests that by prioritizing personal expression, free writing might limit students' ability to participate in academic conversations meaningfully.
120:
Freewriting is often done on a daily basis as a part of the writer's daily routine. Also, students in many writing courses are assigned to do such daily writing exercises.
243:, make the process of free writing more accessible for a beginner and are perhaps less extreme than those of Kerouac, although they are still tinged with an element of
127:
with free writing with the rules changed so that the writer does not stop typing for long periods of time. The end result may or may not be shared with the public.
390:
Collins, Vicki Tolar. (2000). Freewriting in the middle: Self-help for college writers across the curriculum. In Smith, Jane Bowman; Kathleen Blake Yancey (eds.),
109:
The technique involves continuous writing, usually for a predetermined period of time (often from five to fifteen minutes). The writer writes with no regards to
281:
states that although free writing is superior to emphasizing grammar and mechanics, using writing models with qualitative criteria produces the best writing.
155:
Free writing is based on a presumption that, while everyone has something to say and the ability to say it, the mental wellspring may be blocked by apathy,
191:, and are sometimes even used in teaching elementary school children. There is no common consensus on the acceptance of this technique, often referred as
229:
147:
in 2006, online traffic increased. While Tumblr usership has decreased, Twitter maintains one of the largest bases of users actively writing.
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If the writer feels bored or uncomfortable as they are writing, they should ask themselves what is bothering them and write about that.
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technique practiced in academic environments, in which a person writes continuously for a set period of time with limited concern for
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58:. Some writers even use the technique to collect initial thoughts and ideas on a topic, often as a preliminary to formal writing.
602:
Ross, J.; Robinson, Lois (1967). "Guided
Writing and Free Writing: A Textbook in Composition for English as a Second Language".
423:
358:
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Free writing is about loosening the thought process, not about a product or a performance for a student or a writer.
377:
Marshall, Sharon. (2009). A case for private freewriting in the classroom. In
Vilardi, Teresa; Mary Change (Eds.),
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353:
65:, where ideas are listed or organized, a free-written paragraph is comparatively formless or unstructured.
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188:
1063:"Toward a Writing and Healing Approach in the Basic Writing Classroom: One Professor's Personal Odyssey"
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The writing does not have to be done with pen and paper. A technique known as Free blogging combines
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raw idea generation (first-order thinking) before refinement and analysis (second-order thinking).
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The writer gives themselves a time limit, writing for one to twenty minutes and then stopping.
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Free writing has evolved as online platforms and mediums have opened up. With sites like
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1102:"Written emotional expression: Effect sizes, outcome types, and moderating variables"
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Miller, M.M. "The Spice of
Writing: Extracurricular Projects for Technical Writers".
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50:, conventions, and mechanics, sometimes working from a specific prompt provided by a
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The artist's way morning pages journal : a companion volume to the artist's way
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856:. Psychology of education and instruction. Hillsdale, N.J: L. Erlbaum Associates.
639:"Free Writing: Evaluation of a Preventive Program with Elementary School Children"
1149:"Expressive writing in school children: Effects on well-being and working memory"
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553:"Number of Tumblr Blogs in 2022/2023: User Demographics, Growth, and Revenue"
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10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199910)55:10<1243::AID-JCLP6>3.0.CO;2-N
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Murray, Edward J.; Lamnin, Alisa D.; Carver, Charles S. (December 1989).
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that personal free writing in students is correlated to improvements in
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The concept of writing as a problem-solving process, as explored by
224:, whom she cites several times. Kerouac developed 30 "rules" in his
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Self-assessment and development in writing: A collaborative inquiry
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Goldberg's rules, which are infused with the study and practice of
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Writing-based teaching: Essential practices and enduring questions
381:; Albany, NY: State University of New York Press (pp. 7–24).
1190:"The Interior View: One Writer's Philosophy of Composition"
829:
Embracing contraries: explorations in learning and teaching
251:
Integration of problem-solving strategies into free writing
974:"Emotional Expression in Written Essays and Psychotherapy"
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Goldberg's rules appear to be based on those developed by
514:"Writing with Teachers: A Conversation with Peter Elbow"
1014:
Pennebaker, James W.; Seagal, Janel D. (October 1999).
726:
IPCC 92 Santa Fe. Crossing
Frontiers. Conference Record
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Fartoukh, Michael; Chanquoy, Lucile (February 2020).
790:"Problem-Solving Strategies and the Writing Process"
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767:
1016:"Forming a story: The health benefits of narrative"
76:was an early proponent of freewriting. In her book
1234:Writing down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
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678:Writing down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
232:. Kerouac himself cites the "trance writing" of
93:The idea of freewriting has been popularized by
939:Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice
886:"ERIC/RCS Report: Limitations of Free Writing"
884:Fox, Deborah; Suhor, Charles (December 1986).
1106:Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
852:Bereiter, Carl; Scardamalia, Marlene (1987).
8:
610:(2). TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 2: 58–60.
394:; Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press (pp. 105–124)
1164:
978:Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology
788:Flower, Linda S.; Hayes, John R. (1977).
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226:Belief & Technique for Modern Prose
187:Often free writing workshops focus on
1194:College Composition and Communication
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854:The psychology of written composition
831:. New York: Oxford University Press.
518:College Composition and Communication
7:
507:
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236:as a precursor of his own practice.
711:Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life
474:Cameron, Julia (November 7, 2017).
25:
578:"Twitter.com website visits 2022"
86:advanced freewriting in his book
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551:Eira, Astrid (March 31, 2020).
279:Research on Writing Composition
42:is traditionally regarded as a
1020:Journal of Clinical Psychology
359:The Most Dangerous Writing App
1:
195:first four rules of writing:
1061:Moran, Molly Hurley (2004).
775:"Kerouac, Spontaneous Prose"
655:10.1016/0022-4405(85)90007-X
643:Journal of School Psychology
1166:10.17239/jowr-2019.11.03.04
1153:Journal of Writing Research
1079:10.37514/jbw-j.2004.23.2.06
512:Bartholomae, David (1995).
445:. Oxford University Press.
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1237:. Shambhala Publications.
1231:Goldberg, Natalie (1986).
1188:Murray, Donald M. (1970).
1118:10.1037/0022-006x.66.1.174
681:. Shambhala Publications.
135:Evolution of free blogging
31:
1100:Smyth, Joshua M. (1998).
990:10.1521/jscp.1989.8.4.414
935:"Free writing as therapy"
480:. Hay House UK, Limited.
414:Brande, Dorothea (1981).
1067:Journal of Basic Writing
734:10.1109/IPCC.1992.673061
713:. Bantam Dell Pub Group.
442:Writing without teachers
439:Elbow, Peter (c. 2007).
88:Writing Without Teachers
32:Not to be confused with
933:McKinney, Fred (1976).
354:Stream of consciousness
230:stream of consciousness
758:"Kerouac on technique"
827:Elbow, Peter (1986).
709:Goldberg, N. (1990).
675:Goldberg, N. (1986).
637:Klingman, A. (1985).
728:. pp. 384–390.
292:Personal Free Writes
234:William Butler Yeats
890:The English Journal
557:Financesonline.com
418:. TarcherPerigee.
193:Natalie Goldberg's
1026:(10): 1243–1254.
863:978-0-89859-647-2
838:978-0-19-503692-3
487:978-1-78180-980-8
452:978-0-19-512016-5
416:Becoming A Writer
285:David Bartholomae
97:through her book
78:Becoming a Writer
34:Automatic writing
29:Writing technique
16:(Redirected from
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84:Peter Elbow
800:(4): 449.
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365:References
161:resentment
44:prewriting
1175:2030-1006
1126:0022-006X
1087:0147-1635
1040:0021-9762
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