For an editor or proofreader, setting aside the impulse to correct a piece of text can feel counterintuitive. Freewriting offers an effective way to encourage ideas to flow so that you can approach your editing with renewed clarity.

Is it copyedit or copy-edit or copy edit? Freewriting, free-writing, or maybe free writing? I will leave that for you to decide, but this article isn’t about grammar or whether to hyphenate or space out. There are style guides aplenty to keep us coming back for more. What I would like to share with you here is a writing practice that can be a useful tool for occasionally setting aside your critical eye.

As editors and proofreaders we’re accustomed to reading with an imaginary red pen, ever at the ready to correct a typo or rephrase a sentence. Freewriting ignores correction and allows you to develop your own writing skills without editing. The writing may not be perfect, but ideas will have a chance to flow.

What is freewriting and how is it done?

Simply put, freewriting is a method of writing non-stop without thinking. You enter a flow state, and the writing experience becomes an immersive stream-of-consciousness one. In her book Writing down the bones (1986), writing teacher Natalie Goldberg proposed a freewriting method which she referred to as ‘writing practice’. A few years later, Julia Cameron, author of The artist’s way (1992), introduced what she called ‘morning pages’, a writing method carried out with pen and paper upon waking. Their technique is the same: don’t think it, just write it.

Rules of freewriting

1. No computers or cell phones. While it’s possible to freewrite on a keyboard, the temptation to undo something is far too easy. Instead, use a pen (or pencil) and paper. If you choose to do freewriting regularly, it’s a good idea to use a special notebook and a good writing implement. Anything from a basic pencil to a lavish fountain pen can be used.
2. Set a timer: Start with 3–15 minutes or aim for a specific length (eg two or three pages).
3. Keep moving: Allow your hand to communicate on the paper via the pen or pencil. The main rule is to not stop moving your writing hand. If you feel blocked, simply write something like ‘I have nothing to say …’ repeatedly until a new thought appears. Let the words just flow out onto the paper. All that matters is getting the words onto the page. Nothing else.
4. No editing or censoring: Don’t correct spelling or fix your grammar. No scratching out or erasing. Don’t judge your thoughts.

Don’t think about whether what you write is good, or if you’re freewriting correctly. All you should care about is getting it done. Remember, this isn’t perfection; it’s practice.

Benefits of freewriting

Freewriting can be helpful to reduce anxiety and stress, process emotions and gain mental clarity. By means of clearing mental clutter, you will find more space to prioritise the tasks that matter. Your editing practice can benefit if you do a short freewrite on a topic you may be editing. This can help with ideas and structure when you return to the document you’re working on.

Regular practice will help you identify thinking patterns, which will promote greater self-awareness. And a bonus benefit: freewriting can also bring ideas (from your subconscious) to coax that unwritten memoir or novella of yours out into the open (which someone else from PEG can then edit).

A few freewriting prompts

It can seem daunting at first if you’ve never tried freewriting. Where do the ideas come from? It’s a good idea to build a list of writing prompts for when you need inspiration, so you might want to refer to Natalie Goldberg who offers a generous number of prompts in an early chapter of her book. One of these is to begin each line simply with the words ‘I remember …’ Just write whatever comes to mind, starting with those two words, irrespective of whether the memory is recent or ancient. Surprise yourself. Here are a few prompts:

• I used to … But now I … (3 mins)
• How did I get here? (5 mins)
• If you woke up and found yourself transformed into an animal, what sort of creature would you be? (8 mins)
• Things I have learnt since it happened. (10 mins)
• Think of someone you love. Then think of an object you associate with that person. Describe the object in such a way that it tells a story about that person. (12 mins)
• Write a confession as one of these characters: a truck driver/a salesperson/a clown/a teacher/a thief/a poet/a politician/a priest. (15 mins)

Just write it down and keep going to a set time limit. Enjoy playing with the words instead of erasing or changing them. Most importantly, write freely.

References

Cameron, J 1992 The artist’s way: A spiritual path to higher creativity. Michigan: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Perigee.

Goldberg, N 1986 Writing down the bones: Freeing the writer within. Boston: Shambhala Publications.

824 words