.product_section .product_form, .product_gallery { opacity: 1; } .multi_select, form .select { display: block !important; } .image-element__wrap { display: none; }

Freewrite Stories: How Author Ivo Senden Finished His Novel on a Freewrite, Pt. 2

May 11, 2017 | 3 min read

This is the continuation of the Ivo Senden Freewrite Story, click here for Part 1

"It feels amazing on warm summer days to go outside, sit in the sun and the fresh air and type away. The keyboard has improved my writing speed, the distraction-free device has improved my concentration on the manuscript, and somehow it just feels wonderful to be using a beautiful, dedicated device purely for the purpose of writing." – Ivo Senden

Senden is credited with publishing the first book written partially on the Freewrite. For him, the features of the Freewrite have created a huge boost in both productivity and mood surrounding his writing. The E Ink screen is easy on his eyes, and the design of mechanical keyboard provides comfort during times when he finds flow. These were two facts that were not lost on Senden while he was researching the features of the Freewrite. He was excited to learn that the device is the only one of its kind that has an E Ink screen allowing for readability at any angle and in bright light. Senden says, "Even before I became aware of the advantages of the mechanical keyboard and the non-distraction architecture of the device, the screen alone convinced me to order a Freewrite. "

Alongside his decision to purchase the device, Senden found the Freewrite Community forum to be a particularly helpful source of information for his writing process. For him, the process of preparing to write includes a detailed outline, note taking, and intense editing which he used to do in Word. However, during his first hour of visiting the Freewrite Community Forum, he was able to interact with other writers allowing him to discover better tools to manage his content during the laborious development process.

Because the Freewrite has ergonomic features and limits the ability to get lost in social media, or other online distractions, the device allows users to write in a way that enables them to enter flow. At the end of each of his power sessions, Senden can sync his draft from cloud storage to another application for editing purposes, such as his favorite content management tool. The ability to do the bulk of his writing on the Freewrite means less time he has to spend tied to an uncomfortable laptop with short battery life.

Most importantly Senden says, "It feels amazing on warm summer days to go outside, sit in the sun and the fresh air and type away. The keyboard has improved my writing speed, the distraction-free device has improved my concentration on the manuscript, and somehow it just feels wonderful to be using a beautiful, dedicated device purely for the purpose of writing."

Simply a choice of writing location can be critical to the process of writing and to a writer's ability to achieve that all important flow. As we have learned from Senden, writing outdoors was not an option before he purchased the Freewrite. He would find himself sitting inside on his couch on a warm and sunny day. Meaning for him, a choice between work or enjoying all that a beautiful day has to offer. Now thanks to the Freewrite, he can do both which in and of itself boosts mood and creativity. Senden says, "For me, the Freewrite was the answer to my prayers for an E Ink writing device, and its magnificent keyboard was more than a huge bonus."

Ivo on His Typewriter Restoration Hobby

"The beautiful typewriter you see is 98 years old. I tracked it back to a Dutch constable who used it as early as 1919 to write his police reports. I restored it, managed to find new ink ribbons and actually even used it briefly while I was waiting for my Freewrite to arrive. You can imagine my next door neighbors weren't all too happy with some of my late night writing sessions, hacking away on this antique, mechanical monstrosity. I know for a fact that they love the Freewrite as much as I do."

The Haunting

Hitting “publish” on an essay or a blog always stirs up insecurity — the overthinking, the over-editing. The fear that someone will call me out for not being a real writer.

I initially hesitated to make writing part of my freelance work. My background is in photography and design. Writing was something I gravitated toward, but I had no degree to validate it. No official stamp of approval.

Like many writers, I started with zero confidence in my voice — agonizing over edits, drowning in research, second-guessing every word.

I even created a shield for myself: ghostwriting.

I even created a shield for myself: ghostwriting.

If my words weren’t my own, they couldn’t be wrong. Ghostwriting meant safety — no risk, no vulnerability, just words without ownership.

I still remember the feeling of scrolling to the bottom of an article I had written and seeing someone else’s name, their face beside words that had once been mine.

The truth is, I always wanted to write. As a kid, I imagined it. Yet, I found myself handing over my work, letting someone else own it.

I told myself it didn’t matter. It was work. Getting paid to write should be enough.

But here’s the thing: I wasn’t just playing it safe — I was slowly erasing myself. Word by word. Edit by edit. And finally, in the by-line.

I wasn’t just playing it safe — I was slowly erasing myself. Word by word. Edit by edit. And finally, in the by-line.

The Disappearing Act

This was true when I was writing under my own name, too. The more I worried about getting it right, the less I sounded like me.

I worried. I worried about how long an essay was (“people will be bored”), finding endless examples as proof of my research (“no way my own opinion is valid on its own”), the title I gave a piece (“it has to be a hook”), or editing out personal touches (“better to be safe than be seen”).

I built a guardrail around my writing, adjusting, tweaking, over-correcting. Advice meant to help only locked me in. It created a sentence rewritten to sound smarter, an opinion softened to sound safer, a paragraph reshaped to sound acceptable.

I built a guardrail around my writing, adjusting, tweaking, over-correcting.

But playing it safe makes the work dull. Writing loses its edge.

It took deliberate effort to break this habit. I’m not perfect, but here’s what I know after a year of intentionally letting my writing sound like me:

My work is clearer. It moves with my own rhythm. It’s less shaped by external influence, by fear, by the constant need to smooth it into something more polished, more likable.

But playing it safe makes the work dull. Writing loses its edge.

The Resurrection

The drive for acceptance is a slippery slope — one we don’t always realize we’re sliding down. It’s present in the small choices that pull us away from artistic integrity: checking how others did it first, tweaking our work to fit a mold, hesitating before saying what we actually mean.

And let’s be honest — this isn’t just about writing. It bleeds into everything.

It’s there when we stay silent in the face of wrongdoing, when we hold back our true way of being, when we choose work that feels “respectable,” whatever that means. It’s in every “yes” we say when we really want to say “no.”

If your self-expression is rooted in a need for acceptance, are you creating for yourself — or for others? Does your work help you explore your thoughts, your life? Does it add depth, energy, and meaning?

My work is clearer. It moves with my own rhythm. It’s less shaped by external influence, by fear, by the constant need to smooth it into something more polished, more likable.

I get it. We’re social creatures. Isolation isn’t the answer. Ignoring societal norms won’t make us better writers. Often, the most meaningful work is born from responding to or resisting those norms.

But knowing yourself well enough to recognize when acceptance is shaping your work brings clarity.

Am I doing this to be part of a community, to build connections, to learn and grow?

Or am I doing this to meet someone else’s expectations, dulling my voice just to fit in?

The Revival

Here’s what I know as I look back at my writing: I’m grateful for the years spent learning, for the times I sought acceptance with curiosity. But I’m in a different phase now.

I know who I am, and those who connect with my work reflect that back at me — in the messages they send, in the conversations we share.

I know who I am, and those who connect with my work reflect that back at me — in the messages they send, in the conversations we share.

It’s our differences that drive growth. I want to nurture these connections, to be challenged by difference, to keep writing in a way that feels like me. The me who isn’t afraid to show what I think and care about.

So, I ask you, as I ask myself now:

If no one was watching, if no one could judge, what would you write?