If you’re someone who writes regularly—even more so if you write for others as well as your own platform—the demands can easily take their toll, right? You find yourself writing to formula, and if you’re not careful the demands of writing can become a deafening cacophony of noise in your head.
Indeed, if you’re not careful, it’s easy to allow our heads to become detached from our hearts when our writing. Especially when writing professionally, we’re writing for a specific audience, and so our minds can become so focussed on meeting the needs and requirements of the audience, there’s a danger our hearts can be disconnected.
And when this happens, we’re in serious trouble. We can lose all artistic integrity, authenticity, and above all, it’s much more difficult for readers to connect with our work.
Losing Track
This happened to me several years ago. I had a growing blog. I was guest posting for several major blogs, and had written a couple of ebooks, with a print book in the works.
Yet in the process of growing my platform, I began to feel I’d lost my way. People stopped connecting with my work in the way they had. I knew in my gut something was wrong.
I kept going. I tried focussing on different topics. But whilst things didn’t get too much worse, they didn’t get better. So, I did a major relaunch of a free ebook to bring in subscribers.
It barely made a dent. Things were clearly very wrong, and I needed to take action.
To figure out what this should be, and help diagnose the problem, I turned to some key friends. Truth tellers. People I knew would be honest with me in all circumstances. Honestly, these type of people are gold dust. We all need people like this in our lives.
My friends told me flat out: my writing didn’t sound like me anymore. I’d lost my writing voice. And as a result, the quality of my writing was dipping, and it wasn’t connecting with readers at all.
Freeing My Writing
I knew only drastic action was going to solve this problem, so I made a huge decision.
I’d stop writing publicly. Instead, I’d sit and do free writing every day. Private writing, just for me. For just fifteen minutes a day, I’d sit and write without an agenda, without a plan. Just write from the heart.
I’d do this for as long as it took to find my voice again. I had no time span in mind—just as long as it took.
So that’s what I did.
Fifteen minutes of free writing a day.
What I began to notice, was that, almost at random, similar themes were coming up. Themes around exploring creativity, finding your authentic voice, keeping artistic integrity, and how creativity is tied into identity. As I noticed this, ideas began to form in me.
Suddenly I was writing lots of proper blog posts, too. I had ideas for books and ebooks. My creative juices were flowing like never before.
It was, without doubt, one of the most creative seasons of my life. And definitely, the season of writing I look back on with most fondness.
In the end, I was away for three months. But those three months fueled over eighteen months of blog posts and two ebooks, which, ironically, grew my platform more than any work before or since.
Through free writing, I’d connected with my heart again. And I resolved I’d never let this happen again.
A Brief Introduction to Free Writing
So how do you get started free writing? Well, it’s way more simple than you’d think. You sit down, either with your pad or journal, or a document on your smart phone, or a Word or Pages document on your laptop.
And you just write. Without thinking. Without editing. Just write. Just let the words come out.
Resist the temptation to edit, to look back and wonder if it makes sense. It might not. Just keep writing. It might be fifteen minutes; it might be half an hour. It might be more. Just be willing to let it out.
Because what comes out when you free write is the raw truth of who you are. It's your authentic creative voice speaking.
You can start with fifteen minutes. Just fifteen minutes. Like a train or bus journey to work. A little time on your lunch break. Begin with that.
And keep going. If you give it time, then you’ll find you’ll need longer than fifteen minutes. You’ll find words pouring out like water from a new spring.
Free writing set my creative side free and connected my writers head with my heart. I believe if you give it a go for just fifteen minutes today, and maybe more regularly in the long term, it can do the same for you, and transform your writing in the process.
Do you free write? How has free writing helped you in your writing process? Let us know in the comments.
PRACTICE
Take fifteen minutes to sit down and free write. Write with no plan, no agenda, no forethought, and no edit button. Don’t engage the head; simply listen to the heart and let the words flow. Sometimes, believe it or not, avoiding looking at the screen itself can be helpful.
When your time is up, share your reflections on this in the comments below. How did it feel? What ideas sprung from it? What surprised you? You can even be bold and share the piece itself. And if you share, please leave feedback and encouragement for your fellow writers as we all grow together.
I can’t wait to read your responses!
Wow ! This is really really helpful. I got some writer block today then an alert of this post popping out. I take ten minutes to free myself to write any scene that popping out inside my head and voila !!! Two and a half chapter done within a day. Thank you very much. I really really loves this post 😀
Hey Hindra, thanks for the encouragement – so glad this was helpful for you today. The free writing practice in the way you talk about is brilliant, and clearly so effective. So awesome!
Thanks, James. Another member of my writing group and I plan to begin a Free Writes program this fall and the whole idea has me quaking. I visualize drawing complete blanks at the prompts and looking like an idiot. Your practice got me typing for ten minutes right out of the starting gate and while it was not Pulitzer copy, it was a coherent paragraph and gives me hope. I’ll keep at it until our program begins and I think I’ll be able to free write with the best of them. It was good of you to share your valuable insights with us.
Mary
Welcome Mary – yes, free writing can be challenging and a little scary, but I can testify it’s completely and utterly worth it. So great that the post inspired you to go for it, really hope the program goes well too, thanks for the encouragement!
I write at least two pages in my journal every morning – free writing. Some days it’s mundane – daily events, etc. Other days more reflective or a mixture of the two. Once a week I review what I’ve written and put an asterisk next to any lines I might want to refer back to in more formal writing. As I’ve been focusing more on writing in recent months, I’ve noticed that I include more vivid descriptions and use more diverse language in this free writing. It sets the tone for my day, clearing anything that I’ve been ruminating about and opening the way to be awake and alive to what the day might bring.
That’s awesome drjeane, and totally resonate with it sometimes being mundane, you’d not believe some of the material which came out of my free writing. But eventually you get down to some really great material. And doing it in the morning really does set the tone for the day doesn’t it?
Thank you for your comments, James. I would say that my “morning pages” are vital to setting the tone for the day.
Yes, they do that for sure…thanks.
it seems to me this is all that im able to do is freewrite and so it begins everyday to sit down and push letters on my keyboard and make words sometimes its tough for me to continually to chisel and chip away at the letters to form them in a concrete word but not to despair ive been working on a free writing project since 2014 and when im done ill have over one hundred thousand words and then it shall be compiled into an ebook and put on amazon for one dollar and watch it sit and rust away and crumble like we all do in the end as we wait for the wind to blow us away
This is awesome….love it. Thanks for sharing.
Hi
Thanks for this article, found it to be informative and helpful. I’m always amazed at the thoughts
and ideas that come up when you’re free writing. You may be thinking one thing and once you
start to write the piece can go into another entirely different direction. Great way to motivate
yourself to write!
Hi Betty, thanks for your kind comment – so glad the post was helpful. I completely agree that we get so many great ideas when we’re free writing. I’d say my best ideas have come through free writing. Love this comment, thanks!
That article makes sense of your writing advice, thinking a spare time of free writing will do for me and thank you for that info.
You’re so so welcome Tamela.
Thanks, James, for your post, and for telling us to free write. I want to do just this for fifteen minutes because I know it’ll be fun, and it’ll probably be nonsense.
Here I go.
My cat, Minnie sees me at the computer, meows twice, and jumps onto my desk, She looks at the PC screen, and tries to catch the ball from the X-Ball Game I am playing.
“C’Mon, Minnie,” I say, “Let me play for just five minutes more.”
She turns, rubs her face over my hand, and sits down on the mouse.
“Hey, Minnie, come off it, please,” I say, with slight irritation.
She stares back at me and purrs with full force.
“Oh, I see. You’re hungry. Well, if you free my mouse, I’ll finish the game and give you some catnip.”
“Catnip?” she queries. “Why catnip? Are you going to eat all the chicken roast by yourself?” Her voice is laden with disdain.
I am shocked to hear her speak, and stare, open mouthed.
“Come now. Don’t stare, it’s unbecoming. I’m just asking you to share the roast with me, because I’m tired of catnip.”
I carry on staring, so dhe purrs, rubs her chin on my shoulder and says, “Perhaps you’d like to try some of my catnip for a change? Well, you can have as much as you want.”
This is all I managed in fifteen minutes.
Your post made me smile. Even though it’s short I love how you managed to put a plot twist in it, right in the middle. While I was reading it I formed a comment in my head and at first I wanted to ask you if the story is inspired by true events. But then I read that the cat has spoken and I laughed and said in my head: Well, I’m not going to ask her that now.
Very nice.
Lillian and All —
Loved the kitty. My cats have an addiction for my keyboard. I’ll be in the middle of a story, and here comes Charlie. He types *rrrrrrr—-llll in his cat language. I fuss or cuss at him a bit, depending if I am writing or editing. Next, I picl him up and pet hinm a bit before dropping him onto the floor. Sometimes he protests, but most times he just looks at me with disdain. O meows with disgust.
There, got some time in. But had to stop to dish up some ice cream.
Now, I have to stop and eat that delicious Cookies and Cream.
bThis is just plain fun!
Hi Sherrie. My cat is just like yours, addicted to sitting across my keyboard, or clamping down on the mouse.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your icecream.
I love cats! They’re so smart.
Again it made me smile. I love the errors in punctuation. I can really imagine cats writing with their tiny paws.
Have fun eating your dessert.
Thanks, Lara. I could have taken the story a lot further but 15 minutes is 15 minutes; thank heavens for that. I’m glad i made you smile, as I intended to.
I think it’s great you stayed on 15 minutes. It’s a nice test to see how much you can write. It’s a nice short story for 15 minutes, I think you should be proud.
Absolutely, completely agree! Great work!
This is great Lilian, I loved it! Every piece of writing counts, no matter how short or long. I love this piece, so good, so much imagination…maybe you should explore these thoughts and ideas more…
Thanks, James. Your comments have given me a push forward. I love free writing, and I’m going to try it whenever I can. Just write… anything. Super idea.
Totally welcome Lilian!
Beautiful,Thank you.
Many thanks for the compliment
How does someone who struggle with the inner critic work past it to be able to freewrite? I’m not saying that it’s not possible, I feel that there’s a lot of things that are assumed in this post. As an artist, writing has always been something different for me. When I am painting it’s a process that may take days, but I have an idea of what my final piece will look like. In the choice of colors and media, I have some prospect of the finished product. While it is not the same as I imagined it to be when I am finished painting, it is something different than staring at a blank page trying to record my ideas as they come to me.
The key to this is to not even think when you’re writing. Literally type without thinking. Just move your fingers on that keyboard and get whatever is inside out. It might take patience and work but I know you can do it.
This post really got me thinking, so thank you for writing it. I have so many ideas stuck in my head and I sometimes realize that I get lost in them because they are overwhelming me. I have a notebook where I write my feelings from time to time. When it gets really hard and I just have to release everything, I usually put it on paper (if I don’t talk to my friends) and it feels better and sometimes turns into posting material. I like when you wrote that you don’t always have to publish everything you write down. And I think I have to think about that more often. I read a quote once: “Write it even if no one’s going to read it.” And I think I have to follow it more. When I look at the files on my computer I only have short stories that I put out publicly as well and I think more pieces that I hold for myself need to be in those folders. I will definitely try and write more freely.
You’re so welcome Lara, I’m so glad the post was helpful for you. Good luck with the free writing!
Feeling like I lost my spark with writing. I made a oath to myself that I will make the time, 15 minutes out of my day to write. So here’s what I created. Literally just a bunch of thoughts written. Whatever I felt or wanted to blow off my chest, I wrote it.
“This scarf is giving my brain a headache.
Maybe, that’s why I can’t properly think.
Man, this week has been a tough one to tackle
But I’m glad to know that the week is finally reached it’s end.
Earlier, I decided that I’m going to take 15 minute out of my day
And practice writing.
I don’t understand why I’m so hard on myself
I’m sure it’s adding to my stress for sure.
I just need to breath, relax and trust in myself
Something I haven’t been doing lately.
Once it’s a tad warmer outside, I’ll be out writing my life away.
If I want to get better & improve, I have to take that step and want it for myself.
Also, I’m proud to announce that every day, I’ll learn a new vocabulary word.
I just pray overtime, I’m happy with the results ya know.
Poetry is a… there I go. Going blank again lol.
Oh well, this is a free judge space.
I can say whatever I want, even if it doesn’t make sense
I’ll fix it later lol
This is actually helping a little.
I’m trying to discipline myself and let nothing distract me from my focus.
I was going to set this exercise for 30 minutes but 15 works for me.
Never, ever will I stop writing.
I’m so hungry right now.
And I want to go to sleep but I’ll just be up all night which is something I want to avoid.
Um… what else is on my mind?
I’m trying not to pause and think what to say next.
You know, I just want to come right out with it.
I feel guilty for not getting any music done for the past couple weeks.
I’ve been ducking and dodging my friends too because when I get home.
I honestly don’t want to be bothered with.
This is the most I’ve ever written, wow, go me!!!!
*Alex, don’t look at the time. Just keep writing*!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just want to lay my head on a pillow and let my body sink into my bed.
Cause I’m restless as fuck.
I need to stop breaking my own promises.
I let myself down bad when I don’t follow through with what I say.
That’s the problem.
Well, I did great for my first exercise.
The more I practice, the better I’ll be.
Now I’m satisfied and at peace.”
This is awesome Alyx. Just awesome. So how did it feel do to this?? What came out of this for you?
As I was reading this, I couldn’t help but think that these are almost the exact thoughts that go through my head. It is very difficult for me to concentrate and not let myself or my mind wonder. This is great! Thanks for sharing.
Precisrly;many thanks.
Very good article, James. As I’m aways from home just connecting with a new continent, new people, fighting with jetlag, I just bought a journal and will write my story here in Australia during this 3 weeks stay ! Don’t know what will come out but surely, I will be a time to reconnect with my emotions and write scary stuff !!! Thank you for inspiring me 🙂
Just sharing exactly how I am feeling “NOW”.
Staring at my pc at office the overwhelming feeling creeps in now and then;the memories of my story printed in my school days and even getting a prize for it.All the praises and even many years later people that I know had this fixation that I could write and even I believed it..but what happened?There..approximately for 10 seconds lost! What is holding me for there was times when I couldn’t hold myself as the ideas kept flowing that it took efforts to stop myself;what happened?
What must I do,where must I go? Read books did research..to get inspired but some wretch has stolen my creativity or am i not hungered enough..what is it?I have a story and genuine story..but not a single page and the story has been in my mind for 20 yrs..imagine the despai
Good article. There have been times where I felt I lost my writing voice. I doubted if I ever had it. It was so bad that I wanted to quit on several occasions. But when I started writing in my journals, I re-ignited that passion to write. I found new ideas and wrote them down to not lose them. I turn to them as a reference and idea generator.
That’s awesome George, so great that you re-ignited that passion and found those new ideas – that’s what tends to happen when we do this free writing/journal writing. So awesome.
This is interesting, and I love your results from 15 minutes of free writing. Certainly something I’d like to try to free up some mental space for more creativity. What did you do to make sure you didn’t stray from your authentic voice again? Did you simply continue the 15min/day habit along with resuming business?
Excellent Nia – in terms of ensuring I didn’t stray from my authentic voice, I try to maintain the habit as much as I can, and also, when I write, to try and ensure my heart is connected to my head, if that makes sense. Hope that’s helpful.
This is a great idea, thank you. There’s a site I used to use often for a good brain dump before a writing session. 750words.com. It also analyzes your word patterns and mood. Pretty neat tool.
You’re welcome Jennivie, and that website sounds awesome, might check it out – thanks!
I like to share the wealth. You’re welcome!
I have done free writing, especially while working through The Artist’s Way. I haven’t done much in a while, but maybe I’ll start again. Thanks for the article.
Totally welcome, and yes, do start again, it’s so worth it.
Very insightful post. Much of this I’ve discovered organically but I think this is a great daily discipline to stay connected to one’s true voice. I have often felt lost and very disconnected and I remind myself not to self-judge WHILE writing. THAT’S what editing is for!
I love the term ‘evanescent’; the idea of something that, the harder you try to hold onto, the faster it slips away. Writing is just words onscreen/paper but it’s our inner voice that’s ‘dictating’ to our hands. Our inner voice has to be held very gently, caressed, or otherwise you suffocate it… And you’re lost…
Absolutely Steve, love that – great comment, thanks.
James, I love this so much. Thanks for being so authentic and honest. It’s always refreshing!!
Thanks Jim, appreciate it!!
Jesus Christ
Hi, James. I loved your post. What a great suggestion! With your permission, I’d like to share it on my writers’ website.
I developed something similar for my tribe called Method Writing (named after Method Acting), in which you write for 10-15 minutes every day about a specific experience in your life. I encourage writers to both describe the incident and focus on the feelings evoked. It’s very powerful for writer’s block, and since each day you write about a new piece of your life’s tapestry, you can grow an arsenal of emotions that you can use for characters in your fiction writing, or to give more depth to your nonfiction.
All the best,
Deena
You’re welcome…and go for it!
Thanks for your sharing! The information your share is very useful to me and many people are looking for them just like me! Thank you so much!
happy wheels
This sounds like a very similar approach to Julia Cameron’s morning pages?
This was a great exercise to open up the floodgates on unvoiced thoughts and feelings. What started out as observation turned to soul searching, which typically, I would not share with the unknowing and potentially uncaring internet, but, I’ve made myself a promise to be proactive and excusing myself today, would only invite another excuse tomorrow. So, here goes my train of thought. Jump aboard or let it glide on by.
Late winter.
It’s the time when the nights grow short and the days grow long once again, but the days are gray. Gray with spots of blue or gray with rays of sun or gray with sheaths of rain. Whatever the trappings for the day, they are grey.
This winter has been so hard. It has been long. It has been indoors. And it has been dark. I miss the light. I miss the light from the kitchen window glowing faintly on the wall. I miss the light exposing the dust when the little one bounces on the couch. I miss it all. I miss the company. There’s a presence to the light and a presence to the darkness, but there is no one home when it’s gray.
I haven’t been home either. Not if home is where my heart lies. I’ve been lost. I’ve been busy. I’ve been distracted. I’ve been selfless. Wherever I’ve been, I’ve been apart from myself. And, oh self, I miss you!
I loved the days when we could cry at a carrot because of the beauty of this underwhelming vegetable. The life passing within it, pulling from the soil and the water and the sky. The beautiful intertwining of elements mixing through a structure of highways of internal canals and passageways all housed within this strange orange root. This strange orange root, so basic, so expected, so banal. Ah! I want that wonder!
I want the wonder too of looking out the window and stretching my imagination past what is seen. Stretching my horizons till they curve gently around the earth and I can feel the sphere on which we live. I want to imagine that thin blue veil of atmosphere shielding our quiet planet from the night. The eternal night black even in the sunlight.
There are two forces: the light and the dark. And they exist separately from one another. The black of space is always black, even when in the light. And the light of a star is always light, even when surrounded by the dead of night. All else is reflection: choice or consequence. But we, are we in the light or in the dark? In the shadow or in the sun? And how much is our choice and how much is our fate?
You article really struck a chord with me. I’m not a professional writer but immediately after my second child was born words just started to come, and frequently so I wrote them down. In hindsight definitely a mix of insomnia, overtiredness and elation. I have now recorded them on a blog called ‘these words came tumbling out’, as you describe, that is exactly how it happens. Just stream of consciousness, but always coming back to the same theme. I am so glad I’ve recorded them as in ‘everyday life’ I would not of necessarily said that’s who I am, and certainly couldn’t emote it verberly. Thank you for the reminder that all words have value, and actually can give an insight into what’s really inside. Free writing has certainly given me an outlet that I didn’t know I needed ! Poems.sketch31.co.uk
Man, this is just the way I feel. Discouraged about all the writing I haven’t done while trying to do writing I’m not passionate about. I recently purchased a Bullet Journal, and I’m going to give this a go.
It’s funny how we sometimes forget what works. I actually wrote a blog post about free writing a while back (http://www.ericbeaty.com/freewriting-silencing-the-inner-critic). I guess it takes someone else presenting you with an idea for it to really ring true.
Eisa climbed the hill, watching her bare feet so she didn’t catch holes or twigs. the wicker basket swung from side to side in her hand, lightly catching air. The sun was beating down on her back and shoulders, but it felt good. Her headscarf was loose, warm and casting a scarlet light on her forehead as the sun filtered through the fabric. When she reached the top, she paused, sizing up the first pomegranate tree. It was small and twisted, but the fruit was hanging heavily on the branches. So ripe, I thought they’d burst in my hand, she heard the words in her head. She reached up and twisted one off, squeezing it gently. Sitting down, she took out a silver knife and cut it open, revealing the gleaming ruby jewels inside. As she dug out a handful of seeds, she let their juicy little bodies burst tartly between her teeth. He was right, she thought. Reza was right.
The city was so calm as she watched it from under the shade of the pomegranate tree, the tin roofs shining like silver, and the metal wires branching up from the cement walls moving slowly as the wind buffeted them occasionally.
“I wish you were here, Reza,” She said aloud. “You always loved it up here.” She felt a pit re emerge in her chest, and she longed for that sun-warmed hand to hold, just like last summer.
Eisa looked at the basket she had carried with her. She had meant to fill it, bring some home to her twin boys, but she felt lazy and content in the thick summer heat. It was like lying under thick quilts next to a radiator. Slipping off her shoes, she stood slowly, feeling heavy around her middle. There was already a bump underneath her dress, that she felt was growing little by little every day. The twins liked pressing their hands and ears on it, listening for the baby, waiting for it to kick.
Eisa plucked a few pomegranates easily off of the branch and let them drop easily into her basket.
And, that’s all I got in fifteen minutes.
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