

Recently, freewriting has been gaining momentum - free writing method. It opens up ample opportunities for personal development and for the implementation of daily activities. This article will tell you what is behind this foreign word and how to use this method.
What it is?
If you did not miss English lessons at school, then you immediately realized that we are talking about free writing texts.
For those who are not familiar with the language of Shakespeare, we explain: “freewriting” is originally two English words free and writing, in literal translation this phrase means “free writing”.
Freewriting technique is familiar, perhaps, to each of us. Who has never drawn in the margins of their textbook or notebook? But such images, even if they do not mean anything specific, are elements of freewriting. But if we did it almost unconsciously, then other people understood what they were doing, painting their own manuscripts.
Remember the classics. Both Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol not only accompanied their creations with “pictures” in the margins, there they expressed their thoughts, that arose during the writing of a particular work. Some generally consider Nikolai Vasilyevich and Alexander Sergeevich are the progenitors of freewriting.


So what is its meaning? The rules are simple, like all ingenious - take a sheet of paper (create a new document on the computer), handle (pencil, keyboard) and We start writing whatever comes to mind.
The task is not to deduce smart words in a beautiful handwriting without error, but to splash out on a piece of paper (computer file) everything that has boiled in the soul. At the same time, you should not even think for a second about observing the rules of the Russian language and etiquette, choosing words and expressions.
For every task you have only 5, maximum — 10 minutes. And believe me, after this time, not only creative people will find answers to tormenting questions. This is a great way to find an interesting topic for a future article or even a book. But other questions can be solved in exactly the same way — business or personal problems. It’s kind of like brainstorming.
The benefits of such activities far outweigh the harm.. But there is also a danger. Your stream of thoughts, which you put down on paper without hesitation, can not only help you, but also scare you. Especially if you are a thin person. So we ask the faint of heart to move away from the screens, for everyone else — to be continued.

Goals and rules
You can use this method in a variety of life situations. If your goal matches one of the following, then take a pen, paper and go.
So, freewriting is suitable if you need:
- generate a great idea;
- isolate from various ideas the most suitable for solving a particular problem;
- find the answer to a question that has been tormenting you for a long time;
- determine future plans;
- understand what is bothering you;
- clear your head of unnecessary thoughts and emotions;
- make a list of priority tasks;
- to separate the wheat from the chaff, that is, to understand what is really important to you, and what is secondary or does not matter at all;
- look at the situation through the eyes of another person;
- understand why something is not working out for you (lose weight, earn a lot of money, fulfill the standard of a master of sports, start a family);
- decide on plans for the near (distant) future;
- well, and the most banal, perhaps — you just need to learn how to write quickly.

We have decided on the condition of the task, now we will proceed to its implementation. As mentioned earlier, the main thing is not to think about anything.
Don’t stop your stream of consciousness thinking about what letter to write here or where to put a comma, this is the topic of another lesson.
Techniques
American Mark Levy claims that it was freewriting that helped him turn from a mediocre book dealer into the president of a successful company that develops unique marketing strategies.
book author “Genius to order” they will assure you that it is quite easy to achieve a turnover of one billion dollars a year. Just start thinking and writing freely, and then the way to solve problems will be found by itself.
Freewriting is not just a modern technique for finding creative solutions, it is a method that allows a person to come to an agreement with himself.
To do this, Mark Levy advises the following:
- you need to write quickly and at the same time not be interrupted;
- set a clear time frame for the exercise;
- write whatever you think;
- do not strain and do not demonstrate superpowers — super efforts are not needed here, rather the process of fishing out the necessary information from the farthest nooks and crannies of oneself is more important;
- develop what you managed to get out by continuing to write down your thoughts;
- change the wording of the question you want to answer, in other words, redirect your attention to find the solution you need.

Freewriting specialists have divided this method into several sub-methods. Thus, by changing the conditions of the task of your freewriting session, you will sooner or later achieve your goal. And for this you can use the following methods.
disperse the fog
Need to get rid of unnecessary, sometimes intrusive thoughts. When you write out everything that has boiled on paper (thoughts, feelings, perhaps even resentment), it will become easier for you to deal with pressing matters. Therefore, it is recommended to perform this exercise in the morning, to “clear” yourself of unnecessary thoughts for the whole day.
Phrasebook
In order not to waste time choosing words, make up a little phrasebook for yourself. Enter in it abbreviations of the most frequently used words, images of an image or, possibly, an action.
self-knowledge
Do not ask others for answers to your questions. Look for them deep within yourself. They are definitely there. Can’t find it right away, reformulate the question. Sooner or later you will read on a piece of paper the exact wording of your next plan of action.

Exercise
Change the questions you ask yourself. Even in one particular case, there are more of them than it seems at first glance. For example, the questions “What is going on in my life?” and “How do I feel?” similar at first glance. But believe me, when you start answering them with freewriting, you will get completely different answers. From this, new questions will begin to flow, such as “What do I want?” and “What do I need for this?”, “What do I already have for this, and what is missing?” and so on.
Don’t be lazy. And sooner or later you will definitely get to the bottom of it.
If you find it difficult to do freewriting in the full sense of the word, or it seems that you simply do not have enough time for this, start with mini-freewriting. Give it only 3–5 minutes, for example, during a break at work.
Make a list of things you have planned for the day. And then during the day, check the data on your list with what you actually managed to accomplish.
Maybe next time, before you start doing something, you still make a reasonable idea about what you need for this and whether you need it at all, but with the help of full-fledged freewriting.

Where to begin?
The most important and complex, as in any other matter, - it start. Even if you have nothing to say to your white sheet, write it down: “I have nothing to write about.” Do this until other thoughts come to you. Change the topics you want to discuss with yourself using freewriting. Ask yourself additional questions.
Another version of this exercise is dangerous to health, but sometimes very productive. By the way, the well-known American writer Ernest Hemingway described him in a phrase that later became an aphorism.
It sounds like this: “Write drunk, edit sober.” Although the method is close not only to the American, but also to the Russian soul, it must be used with great care.
Step-by-step instruction
Find the best freewriting tool for you. Pen, pencil, sheet of paper, notepad, notebook, laptop, tablet and so on — this choice is completely yours.
Prepare it for work so that it doesn’t turn out at the right moment that the pencil is broken, the pen does not write, and the laptop is not charged. By the way, You can also use a voice recorder. say everything that boiled up, and then listen back to what you entrusted to your electronic friend, some people actually find it easier to talk than to write.

However, displaying words on paper is still considered a more effective exercise. Determine the time for your classes — 5, 10, 15 minutes. The main thing is that no one and nothing interferes with you. Turn off your phone, turn off the TV, lock yourself in the bathroom after all. Be alone with yourself and your thoughts.
Write whatever comes to mind. If, nevertheless, you have entered a stupor, and your thoughts do not want to come out in any way, try to force them to do so. with the help of essay topics.
- Write a short essay on the topic: “Once I wanted to do this, but I didn’t because…”.
- Give five answers to the question, what are you especially worried about now?
- List by points what you dream about (dreamed about before)?
- Describe in detail how you feel at the doctor’s office.
- List 20 things that are right in front of you right now.
- Then make a list of the sounds that surround you.
- Briefly describe how you made some important decision for yourself.
- Write down 10 reasons why you need to learn English or another language.
- List 10 things you are ashamed of or could be ashamed of.
- List 10 things for which you would not be sorry to give the last penny.
- Describe your apartment from the point of view of your beloved cat, even if you haven’t got a furry friend yet or don’t plan to in principle.
- Come up with instructions on how to teach this very cat to dance the waltz.
- Imagine that aliens have landed en masse on earth, tell us how your life will change.
- Write a short but preferably touching story about an empty refrigerator.
- Remember what has made you angry lately and describe your condition and everything that you think about it, starting with the words “When the trees were big …”.


Share everything with your piece of paper — both joys and sorrows. Do not be shy about your thoughts and desires (even the most secret and not the most decent), all this will remain between you (the writer and a piece of paper). And then soon the number of pleasant minutes in your life will significantly exceed the number of sad ones. You will understand what you really want, find the answer to the question of how to achieve it, and finally reach the peak of perfection. And where it is located and how it looks, it’s up to you.
And one more piece of advice — never fool yourself. Not only while freewriting. It is in principle beneficial for life and health.
Take for yourself the motto of the words of the author of the cult book “The Alchemist” Paulo Coelho: “If you want to be successful, you must respect one rule: never lie to yourself”. And, in the end, paper, as you know, will endure everything.
