S'Up  for Writing

Are you stuck? Don't know what to write or how to get to the next point? Writing legend Peter Elbow pioneered a highly effective way to break through these blocks: Freewriting.  I'll have him explain it in his own words.

 

"The idea is simply to write for ten minutes. Don't stop for anything. Go quickly without rushing. Never stop to look back, to cross someting out, to wonder how to spell something, to wonder what word or thought to use, or to think about what you are doing. If you can't think of a word or a spelling, just use a squiggle or else write, 'I can't think of it.' Just put down something. The easiest thing is just to put down whatever is in your mind. If you get stuck it's fine to write 'I can't thnk what to say, I can't think what to say' as many times as you want; or repeat the last word you wrote over and over again; or anything else. The only requirment is that you never stop."        Writing Without Teachers, Peter Elbow, pg. 3

 

The main benefit of Freewriting is that it silences your inner censor. It will get the writing started again, and could very well uncover the secret to breaking through that block. You can try to focus your Freewriting around a particular topic, but just be careful to not censor yourself so much that you stop writing again. Keep writing!  When you are done, go back and look at what you wrote. Look for any reoccuring themes or ideas, maybe there is something there worth teasing out. Play with it. We've worked hard to learn to write, now we're writing to learn.