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Importance of Free Writing

As a high school student, just beginning my journey into the field of writing, I was faced with a dilemma. I never knew what to write about; I always seemed to be stuck on the same few topics (eating disorders, Marilyn Monroe, and childcare) that I wrote about every time. I chose to write on these topics constantly, because I knew that my reader’s views were likely to be the same as mine; for example, who is going to say eating disorders are good? My junior year I started taking an Advanced Placement English class. My instructor would lead the class in a free writing exercise every morning before class started. Everyday he would give us a prompt; he would say a random word, ask a simple question, or show us an inspiring picture and we would have to write about it for any given amount of time. This free writing exercise is one of the things that I feel needs to be explored further in most writing classrooms, because of the help that it gave me as a writer.

There are many people who have arguments against free writing. Bartholomae says, “there is no writing that is writing without teachers (63).” He says this because, people always write under the influence that there will be a judge somewhere in the process. He goes on to argue that free writing does little to help a true writer progress. Bartholomae believes this because, he believes that all writing is academic writing. I am completely against the view that free writing does not help the average writer. The in-class prompts that the instructor gave us led me to write some of my best and most creative essays. Many writers have the same problem that I used to have, the fear of judgment on pieces that they produce. When writing on the prompts given by my instructor, my classmates and I easily took up the entire amount of given time scribbling away on the topic or whatever came to mind when the prompt was given to us. We were able to write away, without caring, because we knew that we would not be judged for what we wrote. We were free to express our feelings and ideas.

This brings me to another argument that some scholars have against free writing exercises: that there is no reason for a piece of writing, unless there is going to be an audience. In my experiences with free writing that is what made it such a good exercise for me. In free writing one gets to express their point of view with the knowledge that there will not be a judgmental person, or audience, reading it. I could say anything. I was able to write, without having to hold back, about whatever the topic brought to mind. If I thought a piece that I came up with in the free writing sessions was worth being read, I could expand and edit that essay into one that was appropriate for an audience.

That being said, while free writing is a great way for a writer to get ideas out, it does not necessarily help a writer grow in the grammar and organization of the writing that one should produce for an audience. This is where the instructor in a classroom is necessary. Grammar exercises are needed for a completely different reason in the classroom. Without being able to write clearly and grammatically correct, the message that writer’s are trying to get across will not be taken as seriously as a well written essay. So, while it is very important to be able to use free writing to get fresh ideas and topics to write on, grammar has some importance as well.

The argument that is made against free writing that pieces need an audience, as well as the argument that every piece should be directed towards an audience, is something that I definitely do not believe. I do however, agree with the question that some people ask; what good is a piece of writing if it is not written to be seen? This is a legitimate question. Writing should be seen, but not because it was written to be seen. It should be seen so that the readers can see what the writer thought. They can take it as they want to, but at least, in any case as long as the writer is getting his or her thoughts out, that’s what truly matters. It was having the freedom from judgment and grading which led to my desire to be a writer. Sometimes being judged is one of the problems that many people face when beginning their own journeys toward becoming a writer. The honest thoughts and views of a writer, not the edited versions, are what need to be shared, which is the overall point of writing. That is why I actually do agree that writings should be seen, but I still do not believe that they should not be created for the audience. It is about the writer. Not only is a piece of work at stake, but if one is truly able to write what they feel then their views and beliefs are also at stake.

The point that I am trying to make is when people begin writing for themselves and writing the things that make them happy that is when we get some of the best pieces of writings. Continually trying to please whatever audience you are ‘writing for,’ will lead you to long nights of editing, drafting, and fretting over making the perfect piece that no one will be able to judge. Writing for oneself will lead one to write what their true thoughts are. This is helpful because when people are talking about things that they believe in, they tend to do so more easily than when they try to write what they believe the reader wants to read.

This is the problem that we see in most academic settings. Students are afraid to step on any toes, especially the toes of the ‘ultimate judge,’ the instructor. Therefore students tend to shy away from writing, especially writing what they really believe, especially in classrooms where instructors make their point of view so clear that they let it get in the way of their grading of students’ works. The instructor should grade a student’s work on how they state their opinion; they should never judge a work on what the student says. This being said, while it is not fair for a student’s opinion to be stifled, it is also unfair for an instructor’s opinion to be completely silenced. However, as I have stated previously it should not get in the way of their unbiased grading.

Today, as a college student, I still have a daily desire to write. In fact, my desire has grown immensely. Many of my college instructors lead me in free writing exercises. It has led me to free write, by myself on a daily basis. I love writing anything I want, knowing that I am the only one who can judge what I say.