It can be hard to press on and finish a first draft, especially when you discover there is a critical problem with the way you have been writing it. Let’s say you’re writing a novel with an awesome story and a great main character. Everything seems to be going along nicely until you realize you… Continue reading Should You Finish a Broken First Draft Or Go Back And Fix Its Problems?
Tag: stopping
5 Heroic Ways to Improve Your Daily Word Count
1. Write in uninterrupted stints The word to emphasize there is “uninterrupted.” Interruptions include other people, outside obligations, and… yourself. If you want to get something done with your writing, it’s necessary to actually do the writing. Sounds really simple, doesn’t it? Well, that’s why it’s a really good idea to have an interest in… Continue reading 5 Heroic Ways to Improve Your Daily Word Count
The Advantage of Immersion Learning and Freewriting
My language immersion weekend Due to some strange turn of events that could have only happened in the 1990s, I recall going to a weekend camp with my German language class where for the entire weekend we were to speak only German. It was my first year of taking German classes, so it made for… Continue reading The Advantage of Immersion Learning and Freewriting
What’s the Difference Between Open and Focused Freewriting?
Open Freewriting Open freewriting is completely openended. You just write. The simplicity of methodology doesn’t mean that you are limited to what can emerge. With open freewriting, it is especially true that anything can happen. Open freewriting is a place for you to be wild, chaotic, totally free, totally present. Always in the act of… Continue reading What’s the Difference Between Open and Focused Freewriting?
Freewrite Instead of Sitting and Thinking
The more you freewrite, the more you become yourself. Unburdened writing gets you in touch with your own voice. Through the ongoing practice of writing without constraint, being totally free, you learn to trust your inner wisdom. When you freewrite… Nobody is telling you how to write or how you should sound or what makes… Continue reading Freewrite Instead of Sitting and Thinking
Writer’s Block: Needing to be Clever
I want to share an embarrassing story from my life because it’s a good illustration about how the philosophy of freewriting changed everything for me. When I was young, I was shy and reserved. Quiet. Withdrawn. I was richly imaginative, but I didn’t know how to relate with other people. I never took the initiative,… Continue reading Writer’s Block: Needing to be Clever
Why You Don’t Like To Write (And How Freewriting Helps)
People don’t enjoy writing because they have been taught wrong. They learned to write by placing undue pressure on themselves. They need to get it right! They need to know what they are planning to say before they start to write anything! They have no tolerance for uncertainty and looseness. How can you hope to… Continue reading Why You Don’t Like To Write (And How Freewriting Helps)