Free writing is quite a popular method of writing. Here are three examples you may want to try.
1. The first idea comes from Felicity Keats of Dancing Pencils in KZN (http://dancingpencils.co.za/) . She does a lot of creative writing work with schools, developing story-writing with students using free writing methods. She also has some ideas for adults. She says one should just quieten one’s mind and start free writing. Let a character with a strong emotional problem and an interesting setting come into your mind. Follow your character as the actions take place. She advocates that when you stop to think you must continuealy says to yourself , 'Go...go...go..' to keep yourself on track.
2. Another writer, Peter Elbow who has written a book called Writing with Power also advocates the free writing method and recommends that you spend ten minutes a day free writing. At the end of the writing session extract the theme from the writing and summarise it. Then continue....
3. Phyllis Whitney in her book 'Guide to fiction writing’ also advocates free writing. She says one should start with the tiniest idea and create a character who has a problem of some sort. As you write you'll find yourself dipping into some of the techniques that writers use such as that view-point, beginnings middles and endings, conflict, goal, suspense and surprise, believable characters, flashbacks, transitions etc.
4.. Another idea is to create a mindmap and just keep adding keywords as you latch on to an idea, a character, a thought.
Why don’t you try some of these ideas? In the following screencast I'd like to show you how I used Felicity Keats idea of free writing in a creative writing whole school project that I did some years back. Free writing works particularly well with primary school children. (If your computer won't play this Screencast it could be a Java issue. Java is a free programme that all our computers have installed usually but sometimes it is out of date. It can be updated here http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp) I have used a lovely free programme called Screencast-o-matic to create this video.)
Here is one of the stories that was written using this method.
So, find a spot, add some soothing music...and get writing!
1. The first idea comes from Felicity Keats of Dancing Pencils in KZN (http://dancingpencils.co.za/) . She does a lot of creative writing work with schools, developing story-writing with students using free writing methods. She also has some ideas for adults. She says one should just quieten one’s mind and start free writing. Let a character with a strong emotional problem and an interesting setting come into your mind. Follow your character as the actions take place. She advocates that when you stop to think you must continuealy says to yourself , 'Go...go...go..' to keep yourself on track.
2. Another writer, Peter Elbow who has written a book called Writing with Power also advocates the free writing method and recommends that you spend ten minutes a day free writing. At the end of the writing session extract the theme from the writing and summarise it. Then continue....
3. Phyllis Whitney in her book 'Guide to fiction writing’ also advocates free writing. She says one should start with the tiniest idea and create a character who has a problem of some sort. As you write you'll find yourself dipping into some of the techniques that writers use such as that view-point, beginnings middles and endings, conflict, goal, suspense and surprise, believable characters, flashbacks, transitions etc.
4.. Another idea is to create a mindmap and just keep adding keywords as you latch on to an idea, a character, a thought.
Why don’t you try some of these ideas? In the following screencast I'd like to show you how I used Felicity Keats idea of free writing in a creative writing whole school project that I did some years back. Free writing works particularly well with primary school children. (If your computer won't play this Screencast it could be a Java issue. Java is a free programme that all our computers have installed usually but sometimes it is out of date. It can be updated here http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp) I have used a lovely free programme called Screencast-o-matic to create this video.)
Here is one of the stories that was written using this method.
So, find a spot, add some soothing music...and get writing!
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