First off, I'm actually a non-fiction writer (journalist, PR & advertising copywriter) and translator, so I am used to having a very specific topic (and goal) in mind, when I set out to write. Having been a full-time writer for 20 years, I think I am doing okay with non-fictional writing. I've also ghost-written two non-fiction books and I have an agent currently trying to find publishers interested in a total of four NF book proposals that would all be under my name. (All of this in my home country and in my native language, not English.)
Recently, I have started taking some classes geared towards creative (fictional) writing, as I intend to work on several stories (memoir, travelogue) that I believe to benefit from creative writing techniques. A staple in all of these creative writing classes seems to be "free writing," sometimes aided by a prompt, sometimes just framed by a time limitation ("write whatever comes to your mind for 10 minutes straight, don't think, don't look up, don't lift your pen off the page") - and I can't even begin to express how annoyed I am every time "free writing" is demanded (which is something that's non coming up in the type of writing I've been doing for a living. It seems to be very specific to creative writing - or maybe it is specific to this culture? I am now living in the United States, so it might be a cultural thing?). And in seemingly every class I am being reminded that free writing is essential to (good) creative writing and that everyone should do at least 15 minutes of free writing every single day. *eek*
At this point I outright hate free writing. I don't want to do any free writing. I don't want to dabble without thinking. I like to think. I like to think a lot. I like to think first, do some research, think some more, then maybe do some writing. Free writing feels almost insulting to my inner thinker.
So my question is:
Are there any writers out there, who do not engage in free writing and who - like yours truly - simply don't see the benefits (because, as we all know, not everyone is created equal and not everything works the same way for everyone)?
And if you don't do any free writing, do you feel that forgoing the free writing mantra has hindered your writing in any way? Or has not doing any free writing possibly done the opposite and propelled your writing to new heights?
Please share your opinions and experiences! :-)
Free Writing - Can a Writer Do Without?
Recently, I have started taking some classes geared towards creative (fictional) writing, as I intend to work on several stories (memoir, travelogue) that I believe to benefit from creative writing techniques. A staple in all of these creative writing classes seems to be "free writing," sometimes aided by a prompt, sometimes just framed by a time limitation ("write whatever comes to your mind for 10 minutes straight, don't think, don't look up, don't lift your pen off the page") - and I can't even begin to express how annoyed I am every time "free writing" is demanded (which is something that's non coming up in the type of writing I've been doing for a living. It seems to be very specific to creative writing - or maybe it is specific to this culture? I am now living in the United States, so it might be a cultural thing?). And in seemingly every class I am being reminded that free writing is essential to (good) creative writing and that everyone should do at least 15 minutes of free writing every single day. *eek*
At this point I outright hate free writing. I don't want to do any free writing. I don't want to dabble without thinking. I like to think. I like to think a lot. I like to think first, do some research, think some more, then maybe do some writing. Free writing feels almost insulting to my inner thinker.
So my question is:
Are there any writers out there, who do not engage in free writing and who - like yours truly - simply don't see the benefits (because, as we all know, not everyone is created equal and not everything works the same way for everyone)?
And if you don't do any free writing, do you feel that forgoing the free writing mantra has hindered your writing in any way? Or has not doing any free writing possibly done the opposite and propelled your writing to new heights?
Please share your opinions and experiences! :-)
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