An Introduction to Freewriting
Hello! I’m Kathy Hopewell, the Freewriter’s Companion.
I’ve spent thirty years teaching literature and creative writing in universities and in the community and this is my first ever openly available and fully online course.
What Is Freewriting?
Freewriting is spontaneous, unedited, continuous writing done for a pre-set length of time.
It’s a way to generate work that can later be edited to produce creative writing such as poetry, fiction or memoir, or can simply be used as a tool for self-development.
This introductory course explains how and why to do freewriting and gives you the skills and confidence to use freewriting for yourself.
What’s Different About this Writing Course?
1. It focuses on pre-writing or, in other words, on producing rough drafts.
All writers begin with an initial draft which is then edited and improved but the skills involved in producing rough drafts fluently and with originality isn’t often mentioned at length or cultivated deliberately in writing courses. Before you can improve character depiction, plot, dialogue and style or imagery, voice and structure in stories, memoir or poems you need strong, original drafts to work from and this is where freewriting comes in.
2. It cures writer’s block
Being blocked or inhibited by self-consciousness is one of the most common problems for writers whether beginner or advanced. Freewriting is a tried and tested way to overcome blocks.
3. It treats writing as a game
Freewriting makes writing doable, and fun. The emphasis is on generating lots of writing and losing the fear of the blank page by responding to random, immediate stimuli before the critical, judgemental brain can stop the flow of ideas.
What’s Covered in the Course?
Each of the nine short videos is a mix of information, advice and hands-on practice, with guided exercises designed to give you first hand experience of the exciting and enjoyable activity of freewriting.
You’ll need to spend about three hours on the course which can be spread over three weeks and done in short bursts of 10 – 20 minutes.
What Have Students Gained from the Course?
This online course is based on a face-to-face version I have taught over the last few years and here are some comments from my students:
“I really feel that freewriting has been a pivotal tool in springboarding me into writing unselfconsciously. As someone who used to be paralysed by the blank page, I could not now do without freewriting; it has put ‘life’ in my writing.” Elaine
“It’s a way to give yourself permission to write with almost no expectation of any particular result, so that there is surprising joy to be found in what results. It’s like opening a door to a creative area of the mind and just letting words flood out.” Sara
“Freewriting has really surprised me: I am a writer! I have found it exciting, liberating and creative.” Wanda
“The ‘no stopping’ rule does seem to improve my thinking and using freewritten pieces to work into a finished piece was much more enjoyable and effective, I felt, than working in any other way.” Barbara
Money Back Guarantee
I hope you will enjoy and benefit from this course which is yours to keep for a year but, if you are not entirely satisfied, I guarantee a full 30-day refund.
