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How To Freewrite

January 03, 2024 | 6 min read

You Love to Write … So Why Aren’t You Writing?

As a human in the modern world, it’s difficult to write. To muffle the outside world — and the world inside your phone, your computer, your head — and just write.

From social media to email and the internet, today’s technology is designed to grab our attention — and keep it. And if you do overcome those external distractions and sit down to write, you face sneaky internal obstacles, as well. The most insidious? The inner critic.

Humans are, by nature, constantly assessing situations, imagining outcomes, and making decisions — it’s part of survival. But it also means we automatically assess all of our actions, including our writing. That little voice is called our inner critic, and it not only hinders progress, it can also stop us from ever getting started.

In other words: Your inner critic is killing your word count and your creativity.

Enter: freewriting.

 

In this article:

  • What Is Freewriting?
  • The Science Behind Freewriting
  • Freewriting Tips
  • Learn to Freewrite
  • Additional Freewriting Resources
  •  

    What Is Freewriting?

    Steven Mintz, a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin, posits that “writing is thinking.” Stephen King said that we should write with the door closed, so no one can see, and edit with the door open. Ernest Hemingway abbreviated that advice even further to suggest that we “write drunk and edit sober.”

    These are all creative ways of discussing freewriting, or the method of separating the drafting from the editing process. "Freewriting" is a term popularized in 1973 by English Professor Peter Elbow, though coined by a writer named Ken Macrorie. Elbow described freewriting as “writing something and putting it in a bottle in the sea.”

    In this type of writing process, the first stage (drafting) has one goal only: to get words on the page. This means turning off the critical portions of your brain and just letting the words spill onto the page, without getting hung up on fixing them right then and there. Revision comes later in this writing process, when drafting is complete.

    Why? Well, drafting and editing are two different activities requiring different things from your brain. The division of these tasks reduces anxiety from your inner critic during the drafting phase and frees up your creativity so that thoughts can flow organically. Many people haven’t written this way since childhood!

    What if you treated every writing session this way? Even if you have a project due to an editor or professor or boss. Even if you're worried it won't be good enough. Make that first draft for your eyes only and see what happens.

    There's a reason this method can be found in writing programs around the world. Learn why freewriting is taught to students in "Freewriting: A Teacher's Perspective" by writing instructor Bryan Young.

     

    The Science Behind Freewriting

    So what exactly does science and psychology have to say about freewriting? Many experts have written about the underlying mechanisms that make this method effective:

    • Perfectionism: Letting go of perfectionism isn’t as easy as it sounds, because what it really means is being vulnerable — simply being with yourself as you are and accepting your thoughts as they come. Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck says the key is embracing a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset. It means accepting that the writer you are in this moment may not be the same writer you are at the end of this project. 
    • Productivity: We all know writers who have spent an hour or more honing a single sentence when they were meant to be finishing a scene. The draft-first method saves time because the goal is shifted from perfection to plain old words on the page. That's when you find flow, a concept first introduced by renowned psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. When you let ideas flow freely without judgment or inhibition, you'll find flow a lot easier and get the words out. Remember: You can’t edit a blank page.
    • Creativity: Ironically, not paying attention to perfection and final-draft quality as you write does inspire deeper creativity. When no thoughts are deemed “wrong” or “stupid,” your brain begins to engage in lateral thinking and side-steps convention to discover new ways of doing things (instead of approaching ideas in a step-by-step, logical fashion, aka deductive reasoning). Let freewriting serve as a discovery process to uncover hidden layers of your narrative.
    • Joy: If you’re anything like us, you likely haven’t written like this — unrestrained and anxiety-free — since you were a kid. Enjoy the process and rediscover the pure joy of writing.

    Learn more about the science behind freewriting.

    Freewriting Tips

    While Freewrite devices facilitate freewriting and writing flow by removing all distractions from your writing device, there are several key habits you can practice while writing to optimize your forward-drafting experience. 

    Practice these three core freewriting rules during your next writing session to see how this method can streamline your drafting process and increase your productivity.

    1. Resolve external distractions.

    We’ve done the hard work for you by creating Freewrite and eliminating all the pesky distractions of the internet and modern technology. Now, all you have to do is turn off the TV and put your phone in a different room. Block out your writing time on a calendar so that loved ones know when exactly you will be unavailable.

    2. Don't stop to Google.

    Research is important across many writing industries and genres. However, it has the potential to become one of the worst forms of procrastination. It's extra tricky because it convinces you that you're actually being productive. If it's eating into your writing time, however, it's not productive. So how do you prevent this?

    If you're a plotter, complete the majority of your research prior to drafting. Some Freewriters start with an outline, or plot points jotted on sticky notes. If you're a pantser, you can reserve research for later, once you know what you need to know.

    While drafting, if you reach a point requiring a fact-check or additional information, simply leave a prompt for yourself right there within the text and proceed with drafting.

    3. Tell your inner critic you're writing a messy first draft and turn off your inner spellcheck.

    We all have an inner voice that guides our actions. When you write (or create anything) that inner voice turns into a critic. This inner critic is the most common reason authors experience debilitating doubt or anxiety and never finish a draft. It is critical to your writing success that you silence that inner critic.

    This won't be easy, but it can be done, with practice. Start by avoiding the urge to critique or edit your work as you go. Instead, concentrate on getting your thoughts down without judgment. And resist backtracking to fix typos.

    Did that last sentence sound stupid? Who cares?! Anything goes in a messy first draft. You’ll refine and revise later! Trust your instincts and write without overanalyzing each sentence. Aim for a state of flow where your typing pace matches the natural rhythm of your thoughts.

    To become a true freewriting pro, check out our exhaustive list of rules that the most prolific Freewriters use to draft forward — and fast. Read "Freewrite's 14 Rules for Drafting Forward."

     

    Learn to Freewrite

    To help all writers unlock their creativity and find writing flow in this modern world of distraction, we’ve created the ultimate guide to freewriting — and we’re giving it away absolutely FREE.

    Download Set Your Story Free: The Writer's Guide to Freewrite.

     

    Additional Freewriting Resources

    Here are some of our favorite additional resources about forward momentum in drafting and how to cultivate this writing practice within your own creative process.

    Have technical questions about using Freewrite? Visit our support page for links to Quick Start Guides, our online Knowledge Base, and more.

    October 12, 2025 4 min read

    The winner of the inaugural Freewrite 500 flash fiction competition is Brie Ripley Sparks, with her short story "High Holy Days."

    October 12, 2025 2 min read

    The first place story in the 2025 Freewrite 500 is "High Holy Days" by Brie Ripley Sparks.

    September 10, 2025 3 min read

    The Freewrite 500 Writing Contest — Terms and Conditions

    Last Updated: 10-09-2025

    By submitting an entry to The Freewrite 500 Writing Contest (the “Contest”), you agree to abide by the following Terms and Conditions.

    1. Organizer

    The Contest is organized by Freewrite, a brand owned and operated by Astrohaus, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Freewrite”, “we”, “our”, or “us”).

    2. Eligibility

    • The Contest is open to individuals who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.

    • Employees of Freewrite, the Flash Fiction Institute, and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.

    • Void where prohibited by law.

    3. How to Enter

    • Entries must be submitted through the official entry form before Monday, September 22.

    • Entries must be original works of flash fiction no longer than 500 words.

    • All submissions must be the original work of the entrant.

    • Only one entry per person is allowed.

    • Entries must be written in English.

    • The deadline for submission is 11:59 p.m. EST on September 22, 2025. Late or incomplete entries will not be accepted.

    4. Entry Requirements

    • Submissions must be the entrant’s own original work and must not have been previously published, including on personal blogs or social media.

    • Entries must not contain any material that is obscene, offensive, defamatory, or otherwise inappropriate.

    • By entering, you confirm that your submission does not infringe on any third-party rights, including copyright, trademark, or privacy rights.

    5. Judging and Winner Selection

    • All eligible entries will be judged by a panel of reviewers affiliated with Freewrite and the Flash Fiction Institute.

    • Judging criteria include length, creativity, and adherence to theme, and overall quality of writing.

    • The winner will be notified via email.

    6. Use of Generative AI Prohibited

    • The use of generative AI in the creation of a submission for this competition is prohibited.

    • The organizers reserve the right to disqualify any entry that is suspected to have been generated, in whole or in part, using generative AI tools (including but not limited to text-generating algorithms, large language models, or similar technologies).

    7. Prize

    • The winning entry will be published on both the Freewrite Blog and the Flash Fiction Institute Blog.

    • The winner will receive recognition across Freewrite and Flash Fiction Institute's social media platforms.

    • No cash prizes will be offered. Prizes include a Freewrite Traveler, a Words Are Hard writing prompt deck, publication on the Freewrite blog and the Flash Fiction Institute blog, and a free flash gym session hosted by the Flash Fiction Institute.

    8. Rights and Usage

    • By entering the contest, entrants grant Freewrite and the Flash Fiction Institute first publication rights. This means Freewrite and the Flash Fiction Institute have a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to publish, reproduce, and distribute the submitted entry in connection with the promotion of the Contest, including on their websites, blogs, email newsletters, social media channels, and more.

    • After initial publication, all rights revert back to the author, who is then free to republish or distribute their work elsewhere. However, we request that any subsequent publication acknowledges Freewrite and the Flash Fiction Institute as the original place of publication.

    • The winning author will be credited by name or preferred pen name when their work is published.

    9. Privacy

    • Personal information collected during the entry process will be used only for the administration of the Contest and in accordance with Freewrite’s Privacy Policy.

    • Entrants may be contacted by Freewrite regarding their submission or related opportunities.

    10. Disqualification

    Freewrite reserves the right to disqualify any entry that:

    • Violates these Terms and Conditions,

    • Is found to contain plagiarized material,

    • Is deemed offensive or inappropriate,

    • Is submitted by someone ineligible.

    11. Limitation of Liability

    Freewrite is not responsible for:

    • Lost, late, incomplete, or misdirected entries;

    • Technical failures of any kind;

    • Any injury or damage to persons or property related to participation in the Contest.

    12. Governing Law

    These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of [Insert State], without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

    13. Contact

    For any questions regarding the Contest, please contact us at:
    📧 hello@getfreewrite.com.