Dan Puckett

Freewriting

Ever want to write, but you can't think of what you want to say? Or you do know what you want to say, but you are blocked from writing it for some reason?

You need to read Writing Without Teachers and Writing With Power, both by Peter Elbow.

Peter Elbow's technique is based around freewriting. Elbow will teach you how to sit down and rattle the keys and just write something, anything, make a big ol' wad of text that you can carve into shape once you've got enough of it to carve. Elbow seems to use freewriting for everything. I can't work that all the time, myself, but freewriting is a necessary tool in your toolbox, and Elbow's books are the classics on the subject.