Freewriting - Not as easy as it sounds!

Hi!

Today I thought I would give my thoughts on freewriting.  Over the last two to three weeks, I had thought that I was making some good progress in freewriting, and was relatively happy with my efforts.  Then I posted an example on my tutor group forum.  I am SO glad that I did this as it helped make me aware that my 'freewrites' are more 'freewrongs'!
The troubles that I was having with them can be summed up thus:

1. Although I was trying to not think about what I was writing, I was still trying to keep to the initial prompt.  This is not the done thing.  The idea of a focused freewrite is that you use a prompt (the focus) to start the ball rolling, and then let your subconscious lead you wherever it may take you!
2. When I wasn't trying to keep to the key phrase, I wrote for five minutes on a theme so that I basically wrote a story.  This isn't freewriting either, even if I was trying to let my subconscious tell it to my hand without my brain getting in the way.  Even then, it's still basically writing a story not a freewrite.

So whilst neither of these techniques that I was using is wrong in the grand scheme of writing, in the pursuit of freewriting, they most definitely are a no-no.

My tutor had given me pointers about where I am going wrong, and that led me to try again, so with some frustration I hammered out whatever came unbidden to my fingers, writing words on the keyboard as fast as I could for five minutes without pause and without thought.  It looked and felt like the crazed ramblings of a delirious simpleton when I read it back, and with some trepidation I posted this latest pile of drivel onto my tutor group forum.  Lo and behold, it was freewriting!  The mad leaps and angry grumbling that I had produced was my best attempt to date!  

I think that my, and I am sure other peoples greatest problem when it comes to freewriting is that my/their internal editor is deeply embedded in the brain and it hates to see inconsistencies or crazy leaps, spelling and grammar mistakes, amongst other things.  This editor whilst great, has to be switched off for freewriting, whether by frustration or sleepiness, anger or subtlety, determination or subterfuge the gate keeper must be swamped so that he can't correct or change anything!

In summation then, a focused freewrite just means that you have in mind a key word or phrase when you begin, and then you just let whatever wants to come out of the 'end of the pen' do so without interruption or editing!

Thanks for reading this - it helped me to get this out, and I hope that it helps you in your freewriting efforts.  Please feel free to comment and let me know if I have left anything out that could be useful - or if you have any hints tips or tricks to master freewriting that you would like to share!