z

Young Writers Society


Freewriting



User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 1119
Reviews: 3
Wed Feb 01, 2012 3:54 am
Sevenity says...



What? What?! How is freewriting not here??? :shock:

Okay, maybe there is an existing thread, but it has been pushed back to the 13th page and forgotten under a pile of forum dust. Regardless, I am resurfacing it... Or just surfacing it if it's never been addressed in this forum. I think it's a valuable tool to have in the writer's toolbox.

Definition: You start writing about what you are thinking of or anything you can think of and you don't stop until you've reached the time limit. If you've run out of things to write about, you can just keep writing, "I don't know what to write. I don't know what to write. I don't know what to write," until you get to another random train of thought. The point is to always be writing and to never stop to think of what you've written or to think of how you will write something next. You never stop to fix a spelling error. Just keep going. Time limit can be five minutes to a half hour (or longer, if you want). Recommended is ten minutes. You can write with pen, paper, or keyboard. Whichever medium you prefer. If typing, avoid instinctively backspacing when you know you've hit the wrong key.

This type of exercise is done before you start scribbling out your new idea or plot, or continuation of a story, or the first line of a new story. It's an exercise to help avoid writer's block when you do get to writing your story. It enables you to keep writing instead of writing a few lines, reading them over, writing a few more, reading them over, going back and changing things, writing a few more lines, scrapping the whole thing, etc. It helps in preventing you from over-thinking or over-analysing. It's typically conducted on a daily or regular basis. Writing is like a sport. Practice makes better (there's no such thing as "perfect" in literature, unfortunately). You can't freewrite once and expect the benefits to last to your dying day.

Here's an example:

Ow, my neck hurts. It’s because I’ve been sitting for so long. My back is weak, man, weak. I’m usually lying down on my bed with like a cagillion pillows supporting my back. I used to go to a chiropractor but stopped because I moved out of the city and it’s kinda expensive anyway but yeah. I’m really tired. I need to finish my French homweork. Oops, typo. Ugh, I made such a noob uni mistake. Totally didn’t follow the syallabus, syllabus for my French class. Totally forgot about all these exercises I had to be doing throughout the semester. Yeah. Meant I had to do like, 30 exer ises in the span of three days. And they’re only like one page long but I have to stop and write down definitions for words I don’t know like every two minutes because I suck at French! Rawr! And it’s not just my neck, my shoulders are acky too. Wait, I went grovery shopping. Maybe they hurt because I was carrying groceries?? Idk. Groceries in the wintertime is not fun. At all.


Use emoticons, smileys, short forms, made up words, whatever. As long as you understand what you wrote (because no one else will ever see your freewriting. It's not exactly a great work of literature).

Anyway, that's my recommended writing activity. Try it out. Post opinions/results/complaints, or if I missed something about freewriting, someone can post about it.

And don't forget to ENJOY! This is not a chore, make it fun! :D
Last edited by Sevenity on Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
It goes like this
the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall
the major lift
  





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 1031
Reviews: 3
Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:09 am
NicholasStone says...



Ow, my neck hurts. Maybe it's because I went cliff jumping. That was fun. Except for the breaking bones part. That wasn't so fun. My back is weak, man, weak. I have to go to a chiropractor now, because I broke my spinal cord. I'm really tired. You would think that adrenaline would still be pumping through my veins, but no. I need to finish filling out this healthcare form. I wonder if they'll pay for my cast now... It's not just my back, my shoulders are terrible too. Wait, I went slave driving. The whip really works the shoulder muscles. Idk. Slave driving in florida is not fun. Partly because of the constant fear of cops.
He stumbled slightly, the limp in his leg still there. He dared not to look at the place he used to call home. He could feel the heat from the fire, the fire that he himself had ignited. He blinked back tears, as he limped away.
  





User avatar
560 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 30438
Reviews: 560
Wed Feb 01, 2012 10:19 pm
Tenyo says...



We do this in Chat quite regularly, especially when I'm around, which I am a lot because it's the only way I get anything done. We call it wordwaring.

Usually we decide on a time limit, and a time to start, and then at the end we optionally post our wordcounts and last or favourite lines. It's always good fun, especially when the oh-so-friendly competition starts up.

If you like freewriting under a time limit then you should join us in chat some time :)
We were born to be amazing.
  





User avatar
29 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 5541
Reviews: 29
Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:07 am
xLogan says...



Freewriting? What is this? It seems entertaining, at least for the moment, so I might as well give it a try. Maybe I should write in third person? Logan is sitting here typing quickly within his dark and relaxing bedroom. As he ponders of what tomorrow, well actually later today, will bring, he wonders how he will spend his Spring Break that is next week... Logan often spends his time wondering about pointless things, and often ends up on a nostalgic-longing for the past. As he types this, he notices that two minutes has past, leaving three minutes to finish his freewriting. Nothing comes to mind. Nothing comes to mind. Nothing comes to mind - when suddenly the realization has come to him of how warm it has been recently, even how it was last month. Once again, another sudden realization comes about, that it only snowed once this year where he lives, and it was gone by the next day. Last winter it snowed many-a times, and nearly a foot on Christmas Eve... Logan loves the snow... What is there not to love about the snow? It's chilling, white, fluffy, pretty, shinny, reflectant, delicious, thirst-satisfying, it turns yellow when you urinate on it, etc... The last sudden realization comes about that this man has ran out of time. :pirate3:
"People are afraid to die, but are also afraid to live."

[•_•]
robot fayce
  





Random avatar


Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:18 pm
Alleykins says...



Freewriting sounds interesting. I am very bored at the moment. Also I am having writers block X( I am watching some television right now. Hancock is on. Does anyone know that movie? Its pretty good. Not entirely sure what my story is going to be about. The story I have been writing. It is about vampires and supernatural stuff. That is my favorite kind of writing and books. Maybe I will have something creepy happen. Someone die perhaps? Hmm... I realize that my lemonade is gone. Thats to bad I really like lemonade. I have to use the bathroom though so I am not sure I will be able to keep this going for that long. Its saturday that means I still have one more day before i have to go back to school. That is awesome actually. Sunday a new episode of the walking dead is coming on. I really like that show. Is that nerdy? noo. I really like zombies though i thhink a real life zombie apocolypse would be completely terrifying. Boy, I really have to pee. Its getting dark out and my toes are slightly cold. blah blah blah. wow My hair is really nice today. oh no it is only 7:11 and boy am I tired. cant think of anything cant think of anything. I can not wait until next week! i am going to spend a week in the sunny state of florida! I love the warmth its really the greatest. ive never watched the end of this movie before. i thought i had that is so strange. My stomach hurts. I wonder why my sister isnt replying to my texts. she has been acting very strange these days. My boyfriend is here so i should probably end this and its been quiet a lot of writing Sort of
  





User avatar
53 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 4226
Reviews: 53
Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:07 am
zohali93 says...



i'm sooo annoyed and sad! i hardly get reviews from anyone i know and even on yws! i mean never . hardly is an overstatement.i dont know what to do ihave piles of work to do but all i can think about is this website waiting for reviews that never come!!!!!!!!!! i get this feeling in my stomach when i check and i get zero. idont know what to write................................its just sooo sad i really want to get the rest of my novel done but im waitng for te approval of others good reviews or bad reviews or ANYTHING......I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE................have a minute left..........................i need to really start making freinds at my new school i really need help....even though i prefer the internet people to review me then someone i know face to face.times up ...
Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? (29:2)
  





User avatar
9 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 1049
Reviews: 9
Sun Apr 08, 2012 5:59 am
justine94 says...



Sooo, today is my Easter choir performance. I am soooo excited to do this in two services! I didn;t get a chance to practice as much as usual befcore hand because we started choir practices later in the year. This is the last time I get to sing with my church before I go off to college. I love singing with these people! I wanna cry when I think about how I will be leaving my mentors and friends in the fall. And MArci....oh Marci. She's been the best friend I could ever ask for. She always knows when I am 'not saying' something that is wrong. I freakin' don't wanna be so far away from her during college. :( Praying that she gets into Moody, but Chicago is realllllly far away from Orange City! :( Really wish that Aunt Julie could make it to my grad party. I purposely made it later so that more people could come, and she's never been able to make it out to my house. :( Living 40 minutes from church when your favorite mentor lives 30 minutes in the OPPOSITE direction is crappy. Ugh. I wanna go cry in the corner right now. I hope I get to take a day and hang out with her sometime soon! I know that the past 6 years have been crazy for us, but she has continued to mentor me even though I took foreverrr to grow up! And Victoria...to be willing to talk to me after I was such a jerk to her for so long. WHat's a girl to say to such an amazing friend like that?? "i love you" really sounds so lame and irrelevant. Gunnar...oh Gunnar! :P Liking a guy who is sooo creative, and he's too freakin' young for me! :( He's so freakin' cute, and he loves writing, and Jesus....but doesn't like me back. He talks to Nat all the time...they have a great friendship and I am super jealous of that. :| Oh well. I don't wanna date till at least college anyway. Why is it that people find it weird that I don't date...at all? I like guys, sure. But who needs a boyfriend that you're gonna break up with in two months, tops, most of the time? Sheesh.
Anakin: I HATE YOU!
Obi Wan: You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you...
  





Random avatar


Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:59 pm
View Likes
deleted11 says...



Your all so far gone, you dont konw, your life is gone you dontkonw your all so lost, I cant tell you how much you dont knoe, my life is harsh,your life sucks, you can ecape, the end is near, everything is wrong, no one knows, no one can know, everything is so wrong, so lost, hopelessly lost, will it come, will the end be now, can I die,can anyone die, can everyone die, everything is wrong, why why why, why can't I die, why does no oneknow, no one can know why, how does my life suck, why why why,the end is near, the end is know, why not now?
  





Random avatar


Gender: None specified
Points: 517
Reviews: 34
Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:54 pm
View Likes
kasimkaey says...



I've never trid this freewriting thing before and already I knw I've made a mistake and I have OCD and that's not goingn to go down well with my head. and I'm typing in the dark so that's not fun. omg, the dark. it just reminds me of the film the strangers. I'm so frustrated right now because the people I've given my full length novelS too and yes, the S is meant to be capitalised, haven't even gotten back to me yet and it sucks. and the fact that I can't backspace right now is messing with my head. also, I want to write more but I'm so stressed out about college, it's unbelievable, it's lile. why do people do this to us.
I've made too amny mistakes. people shouldn't see this. they'll think I'm dumb. but I have to post it.
and my times gon.e
  





User avatar
308 Reviews



Gender: Male
Points: 25520
Reviews: 308
Wed Mar 13, 2013 11:19 am
View Likes
AlfredSymon says...



STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :( STRESS :(

My life in 42 words. I love life, still, of course. Well, do I have any other choice?
Need some feed? Then read some! Take a look at today's Squills at In the News.

The Tatterdemalion takes a tattle!

"Stories are like yarn; just hold on to the tip and let the ball roll away"
  





User avatar
160 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 1840
Reviews: 160
Wed Mar 13, 2013 11:28 am
View Likes
Loose says...



Work that smiley, buddy.
  





User avatar
103 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 451
Reviews: 103
Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:12 pm
wordsandwishes says...



Waterfalls, roses. red roses and blue roses, like the sky. Bleeding memories. pain, lots of pain. But look, there's the rainbow. I wonder what's on the other side. Fly. Fly Fly away home. Home? Where is home? I'm lost. haze and mist. Grey mist, like age. And sage. They say thyme makes you ageless. Witch! Witch! Burn the witch!. But I don't want to be burned. Run; run away, far away. But my feet are sore. They're not there she says. Wake up! Wake up! Black skies and shadow dreams. I hear they're called nightmares. But it's hard to be sure. Impossible. Funny word. The lines divide, but all they do is contain the space that fades into the next.
  





User avatar
13 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 1141
Reviews: 13
Tue Apr 02, 2013 3:34 am
View Likes
AmourDevorant says...



Ok, so I have ten minutes to do this and I am a notorious babbler. Isn't this what diaries are for anyway? I have a new penpal, we love Japanese stuff and collect kimono. Too bad I don't drive, or maybe I could visit someone someday. The only place I travel to is Boston, I take the bus. The bus feels more like home than anywhere else, especially when I have both seats to myself. I hate when people sit with me, because I'm like, "Can you not?" in my head. Sometimes smelly people and/or noisy people sit with me and I hate it. I think it's because I'm small and not intimidating, but if they knew how I was thinking of biting their faces and shrieking like a banshee they might sit a few seats behind. On the opposite side. Wow, I typed all this in 2 minutes. 8 to go... Typing is messing up my manicure. I'm going to see my boyfriend this weekend, maybe we'll go out to dinner again? I should dress up and make all the other men jealous, but it's not like he'll notice. I'm never pretty enough for him. It's not that he criticizes me, but he always thinks someone else is better looking. Ah well, this is getting a little too deep for my comfort, so I'll change topic: There is an add on the side of the site for some game... some very sexy game, called "Scarlet Blade" apparently. It seems to be about designing the most interesting (read: skimpy) outfit that still covers all the good bits. I wish I had an anime body. Not like that creepy Russian woman with the implants and eating disorder, I mean like a genetic freak! Always perky, perfectly rounded in all the right places, but somehow manage to still have a tiny waist and flat belly. Ah, to never grow old! I'm only 22 and I'm already mourning the fact that I'm not married. No man would actually be crazy enough to marry me, and I could never be happy enough with anyone to say yes. I wish I could marry myself. Not because I'm a narcissist, which is probably true, but because then I could wear a wedding a ring and not have to verbally refuse anyone. It is awkward to reject people.

AND TIME! phew :/
忍ぶれど色にいでにけりわが恋はものや思ふと人の問ふまで
― 平兼盛

“If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray,
remember that true stories seldom take the straightest way.”
― Kvothe, in The Name of the Wind

What were the use of my creation if I were entirely contained here?
  





User avatar
7 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 1290
Reviews: 7
Fri Apr 19, 2013 3:33 pm
View Likes
InkyLovesWriting says...



I've tried freewriting before but I've always thought too much. Hmm. That poster's corner is falling off. Can't be bothered to stick it back up. It says,"Keep Calm and Write On". My window is covered in raindrops. I have an itch near my neck. And on my arm. I am sitting on my leg. I'm cold. A dog's barking. A car comes by. RRRRRRRR! This is so random! Another car. Ugh... I'm bored. The chair is cold. My laptop is making noises like, fssssssh. I don't know who would want to read this junk. Another car. Dog barks again. Another car. And another. My mum plays the piano downstairs. Oh... what to write about now? Should I stop? I'm not timing myself. Idiot... Yes, I am an idiot. Why didn't I time myself? Today, I had a creative writing exam. Completely failed. The teacher was like, "Five mins!" and I was like, "AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" and totally rushed it. The beginning was good, loads of description, but the ending sucked. No time to check it through. Oh well. I won't get a very low mark... I hope... I'll stop writing now.
InkyLovesWriting :)
  





User avatar
103 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 451
Reviews: 103
Mon Apr 22, 2013 1:16 am
wordsandwishes says...



Falling through the haze of a dream, with broken wings. Black skies spread before me, like ink form a pen. I am lost, and I'm drowning. I don't know why I haven't realized this before; I can't swim. Why am I not panicking? The setting sun burns the sky as it passes. Red like rubies, and teardrops from an immortal. Life is long and short at the same time; It must 've something to do with memory; ever so flawed memory. And space. Freedom, it's a strange word to say, for it rhymes with the word kingdom; a place bound by laws and rules and complicated society. And ever so many expectations... stop. "Don't think too much" they say, or you'll be lost, lost in the haze and the shadows, too far away to grasp reality. But. What if I don't want to stay?
  








“Sorry about the blood in your mouth. I wish it was mine. I couldn't get the boy to kill me, but I wore his jacket for the longest time.”
— Richard Siken