Freewriting is one of the most commonly used techniques for getting your writing project going. Freewriting basically means: write about anything that comes to mind, don’t worry about quality, and write at high speed to discourage your inner editor from interfering. There are very few rules in freewriting. This is what I do not like about it. Especially when I’m in the middle of a writing project and have gotten stuck at a very specific point in the text. In those cases, freewriting warms up my fingers, but not my mind.
Problem-solving
In creativity research, making a work of art is often seen as solving an ill-defined problem. You have to define your problem by working on the solution. Meaning, you need to write in order to figure out what you wanted to say in the first place. And you need to set some boundaries around your ‘problem’. Choose between a sonnet and a novel, choose your protagonist, setting, et cetera, and stick to it.
Try jailwriting instead
When you are stuck in the middle of a writing project, try some jailwriting: Give yourself a very specific, small writing assignment. For exemple, say you are writing about a single guy who has met a girl at his local coffeeshop. He wants to ask her out on a date. You are stuck because you haven’t figured out what this girl is like, and what attracts him to her. Jailwrite: 50 words of dialogue between them on their first date. Or: three of her favorite songs. Or: What’s in her purse? (make a list of 15 items). The key is setting yourself boundaries. Boundaries elicit creativity.
Conclusion
Freewriting is a useful technique, but there’s an abundance of other techniques out there that may do you more good in getting unstuck. I will discuss a number of them on this blog, so stay tuned…
Now go lock yourself up and write!
