Freewriting is one of the simplest ways to start writing. That might sound too easy to be useful, but the simplicity is the point. Instead of trying to produce something good, you concentrate on producing something.

What is freewriting?

Freewriting is the practice of writing continuously for a set time without stopping to edit, correct or judge what you are writing.

The basic rules are simple:

You are not writing the finished product. You are generating raw material—like sketching before creating a finished drawing. Some lines will be useful and some will not. At this stage, it does not matter.

How to do your first freewriting session

Open a blank document, grab a notebook or use a writing app. Set a timer for ten minutes, then start writing.

I don’t know what to write, but I’m going to keep writing anyway…

Continue from there. Write whatever comes into your head. If your thoughts change direction, follow them. If something unrelated appears, write about that. There is no wrong direction.

Do not stop to fix things

This is often the hardest part for beginners. You notice a spelling mistake, a weak word or an awkward sentence and immediately want to go back. Resist the urge.

Freewriting is about moving forward, not cleaning up what is behind you.

There will be time for editing later. During the session, your job is simply to keep putting words on the page.

What if you have nothing to say?

Write that. If your mind goes blank, describe the room, complain about the exercise, write about being hungry, ask yourself a question or repeat yourself. The important thing is to keep moving.

Eventually, your mind will often find something to follow. That is when freewriting starts becoming interesting.

Do not judge what comes out

Your first session might be terrible. Good. The purpose is not to prove that you are a brilliant writer. It is to write without requiring brilliance.

Give yourself permission to write boring thoughts, half-formed ideas, bad sentences, repetitive nonsense, strange observations, unanswered questions and anything you would normally delete. Somewhere in the mess, you may find something worth keeping—but you do not need to find it while you are writing.

Try ten minutes

1. Set a timer

Ten minutes is long enough to begin without turning the exercise into a major commitment.

2. Start anywhere

Write the first thing that enters your head. Do not wait for a good opening sentence; you are not writing for an audience.

3. Keep moving

Do not edit or search for the perfect word. If you get stuck, write about being stuck until another thought appears.

4. Stop when the timer ends

When the timer goes off, you can stop. You have completed a freewriting session. That is it—you did it.

What should you do with your freewriting?

You do not have to do anything with it. Sometimes the value is simply in writing. If you do read it again, look for interesting ideas, strong sentences, questions, forgotten stories, useful topics and unexpected connections.

You might find the beginning of an article, journal entry, story or video—or nothing at all. Not every session needs to produce something useful.

Freewriting gets easier

Most of us have been taught to judge writing while creating it. Freewriting asks you to delay that judgement. With practice, it becomes easier to stop worrying about individual sentences and follow your thoughts wherever they go.

Do not wait for inspiration or certainty. Open a blank page, set a timer, write the first thing that enters your head and keep going.

For a deeper explanation of the method, read What Is Freewriting? You can also learn why continuous writing helps build momentum.