Freewriting: Best Academic Anti-Stress
Have you ever found yourself recalling for no reason an episode from distant childhood while doing your usual household chores?
There might have also been a quote from a school poem learned ages ago that sprang to mind. Surprising as it may sound, but our brain is teeming with ideas, memories, facts, and images, the existence of which we often do not even suspect, at the same time, the brain continues “chewing” monotonous thoughts and situations and thereby limiting our creativity. Fortunately, it has grown up into a top-notch technique that will be of worth for every student.
What is the Freewriting technique?
American author Mark Levy claims that it was freewriting that helped him from an average bookseller to become the president of a successful company that develops unique marketing strategies. Like everything ingenious the rules are simple – equip yourself with a sheet of paper, alternatively create a new document on the computer, a pen (pencil, keyboard), and start writing whatever comes to mind.
According to avid men of letters offering professional dissertation writing services, this is a great way to find an interesting topic for a future article or even a book. Indeed, crafting a couple of brand new dissertations would be a Herculean task to accomplish without this technique. In exactly the same way, you can solve other issues – business problems or personal problems. It’s kind of like a brainstorming session.
How Can It Help You?
- When working on a complex text
- When searching for a new point of view on an existing problem or issue in any area of life
- When overcoming the fear of a blank sheet and creative crisis
- When seizing the opportunity to be alone with oneself for better understanding internal motives and experiences
- When setting personal goals
The point of the technique is that you start writing, even if you do not know what you want to transfer to a sheet of paper or a computer screen, and do not stop until the time or amount of writing you have set is up. Encourage yourself to write quickly, not thinking too much about what has been written, and definitely not set yourself the task of “creating a chef-d’oeuvre text here and now.”
5 Basic Freewriting Techniques
The main adherent of freewriting, Mark Levy, formulated 6 basic principles of this technique, which all fans use to one degree or another. It is in these postulates that what distinguishes freewriting from a school essay on a given topic.
1.Don’t Sweat It
You do not have to put extra effort and be focused on a specific result or benefit. Relax, turn off your “inner critic”, trying to give yourself as much as possible to the process. It doesn’t matter how and what you write about, because you do it exclusively for yourself.
2. Write swiftly without distractions
An important feature of freewriting: the need to write quickly and non-stop. Do not be distracted by long pauses, reading what has been written, or correcting mistakes, there will still be time for comprehension. “Catch the wave” so that the words follow one after the other, obeying your inner inertia, and not your strict control.
3. Set Time Frames
The only important limitation that you need to set for yourself is the amount of text. If you write by hand, let it be 1 or 2 full pages, if you type then set a minimum time limit, for example, 20 minutes. If inspiration has come, you can always write more, but even if it is not there, it is important to observe the minimum limit.
4. Rely On Your Talent
One more thing to remember is that freewriting has nothing to do with a scientific report, so no one will ever estimate your manuscript. Certainly, the thoughts and ideas that have arisen in the process of writing can then be fully used for practical purposes, but this is not the essence of the method. Let yourself immerse into the process of a conscious flow: write as you think, write as you speak, write as you can.
5. Supply Your Mind with Hints
As Picasso once stated: “To know what you’re going to draw, you have to begin drawing”, but still if you suddenly realize that you have no clue what to write about next, give your mind the opportunity to switch using leading questions. Here is a possible questionary that can come in handy when pondering a problem or analyzing the events of the last day:
- How can I make the chain of events more gripping?
- How can I better use the information I have?
- How would I describe the situation to the stranger?
- What was I thinking about at the moment?
- What else can I add to the structure I already have?
- If I could make a blunder what would I have done?
Apart from the above-mentioned “switchers”, you can be more direct and start without beating around the bush: ” I don’t know what to write about…”. As practice shows, thanks to the phrase highly valuable texts emerged.
Additional Techniques
Freewriting specialists went even further and have divided this method into several sub-methods. Thus, by changing the conditions of the task of your freewriting session, you will sooner or later achieve your goal.
Disperse the Fog
You need to get rid of unnecessary, sometimes obsessive thoughts. When you write down on paper everything that has boiled over inside you on thoughts, feelings, perhaps even resentment, it will become easier for you to deal with your daily affairs. Therefore, it is recommended to do this exercise in the morning in order to “unclutter” yourself of unnecessary reflections for the whole day.
The Phrasebook
In order not to waste time on choosing the right words, create a small phrasebook for yourself. Fill it with abbreviations of the most frequently used words, depictions of a particular image, or, possibly, an action.
Self-knowledge
Chances are that other people’s minds won’t provide you with sufficient answers to your question. So, look for them in the depths of yourself. They are definitely there. If you can’t find it right away, reformulate the question. Sooner or later, you will read on a sheet of paper the long-awaited formula of your further action plan.
The Task
Change the questions you ask yourself. Even in one particular case, there are more of them than it seems at first glance. For example, the questions “What is happening in my life?” and “How do I feel?” one can perceive as similar. Believe me, when starting to answer them with the help of freewriting, you will receive completely different answers. There may appear a couple of new questions such as:
- “What do I want?”
- “What do I need to achieve it?”
- “What do I already have for this, and what is missing?”
The list is endless, but you get the gist. Improvise with the questions.
Extra Profits
The freewriting technique can be used not only for keeping a personal diary, but also for solving specific problems, for example, working on changing your inner state, looking for new ideas, getting out of deadlocks, and working on writing specific texts. As for the practical techniques and tricks used to stimulate your creative activity, you can start your writing journey with a description of any object that catches your eye. A the end, you will be trained enough to keep writing even when it becomes unbearable. After all, the phrase “What worries and distracts me most at the moment is…” sounds like a great starter.
Picture this
Occasionally, the art of creative writing can be a life-saver in the most unexpected situations. If you are preparing for high-priority negotiations or competitions, you can replay them in advance on paper. A dialogue with an imaginary interlocutor, recorded in the freewriting technique, can help you to be more comprehensive when reflecting on the situation and preparing arguments. The crux is to try to imagine your opponent in as much detailed a way as possible so that the dialogue turns out to be more realistic.
The power of creativity has never been that obvious before. A seemingly simple freewriting technique can help not only people who write but also makes a significant contribution to the personal development of any of us, forcing us to better understand inner motives and experiences.
Author’s Bio
Rebecca Carter works at StudyEssay.org as an essay writer. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and during her study developed an enthusiasm for writing articles about the latest trends in business and digital marketing. When she is not writing, Rebecca enjoys being in the mountains, gym, and volunteering.