KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL FREEWRITING

KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL FREEWRITING


◆ Resist the temptation to look back at what you have written during the process.
◆ If you can’t stay on topic, keep writing anything to maintain the flow.
◆ Do not censor yourself; your freewriting is not going to be seen by others, so
commit every thought to paper.
◆ Follow your ideas wherever they lead you.
◆ When finished, read your freewriting with a highlighter, noting the most interesting
      and strongest ideas.
◆ Try the process again after you have focused your topic; more ideas may be
generated.


Every question won’t apply to every essay, and the prompts that follow each W are meant to be taken as suggestions. Be flexible and use the format as it best fits your topic.



1. Who:  Who is involved? At what level? Who is affected?
2. What:  What is your topic? What is its significance? What is at stake? What are the issues?
3. Where:   Where does your subject occur? Where is its     source?
4. When:  When does your topic occur? When did it begin/end? When must action be taken to deal 
                with it?
5. Why:   Why is it our subject of interest? Why did it develop as  it did? Why should 
                others be interested in your topic?