Freewriting is good for teens because it takes the pressure off: they write about anything for a set time, without worrying about rules or mistakes. That helps them get past writer's block, focus on the writing itself, build confidence, and make writing a habit.
Not many kids and teenagers are keen when teachers give them writing assignments. Many feel that writing comes with too many rules. However careful they are, the teacher always seems to find something wrong with their work.
Teachers and parents who struggle to get kids to write should understand that too many rules do not sit well with them. When it comes to writing, it is often best to relax the rules a bit, or even to drop them altogether for a while.
Welcome to the world of freewriting
Freewriting was made popular by Peter Elbow, professor emeritus of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in his 1973 book Writing Without Teachers. It is like brainstorming, except that you put everything that crosses your mind into sentences and paragraphs.
Freewriting has many benefits, especially for teens. Here they are, one by one.
1. It solves writer's block
Freewriting gets rid of writer's block because the writer can pick any topic. And any topic really means any topic.
For instance, you can ask your teens to start with the sentence "My T-shirt stinks." Teens know the subject first-hand, so they do not need to look anything up to write about it. A silly, everyday prompt like this is often the easiest way in.
2. It puts the process first
Freewriting is simple: pick whatever topic you like and write as you please for a set amount of time, such as 15 or 20 minutes. If the result is a well-written text, that is great. If the result is a jumbled mess, that is fine too.
The purpose of freewriting is to let people write however they please. Whatever they come up with is rarely a problem.
Kids and teens often complain about the many rules of writing. They hate being criticized for their work, especially for things they consider trivial. In freewriting, the writing process matters most. Everything else comes second.
3. It builds confidence
When kids learn to ride a bike, they fall a lot. But as long as you, the parent, do not panic, they keep trying until they are good at it.
The same is true of almost everything in life, including writing. Do not panic when you see no commas or periods. Stay calm when one sentence does not connect with the next. Your teens are making mistakes and learning at the same time.
4. It promotes a good writing habit
It is easy to make a habit of something that feels simple. Since freewriting comes with hardly any rules, it is easy to grab a pen and pour your thoughts out. That is how people manage to keep a diary about all the small things that happen during the day.
You never worry about grammar when you write in a diary, right? You do not worry about people criticizing your spelling either. Freewriting feels the same.
From freewriting to a finished text
Anyone who wants to write every day can use freewriting as the starting point. It is that easy. For more ways to get young writers going, see how to encourage teens to write and these writing prompts.
Of course, if your teens use freewriting as the starting point for a school paper, they should proofread and edit their work before they hand it in. If they do not feel confident about their proofreading skills, the Spell Checker marks spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes that tired eyes easily miss.