Writing Step-by-Step

Tips on Writing by Kathleen Hanson

Most ESL writers are reluctant writers of English.  If you are one of them, you do not need to be.  In fact, you will do yourself a favor if you take active steps to overcome your reluctance to write,  which could be due to a fear of trying or setting your expectations too high. What can you do to help yourself overcome your hesitation and even fear of writing.  Take the first step and FREE-WRITE.

WHAT IS FREE-WRITING?

Free-writing is an exercise in thinking and jotting down your thoughts about an idea without worrying about correctness.  As such, it is a liberating technique used by writers to overcome writer's block and to stimulate thought.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN YOU FREE-WRITE?

• Focus on content (even random ideas associated with content).

• Forget about grammatical form, spelling, and word choice; use a word from your own language if you can't think of the right word in English.

• Write without stopping for about 10 minutes.

WHAT SHOULDN'T YOU DO WHEN YOU FREE-WRITE?

• Don't go back over what you have written or cross anything out.

• Don't use a dictionary.

• Don't erase or correct anything; you don't have to be correct.

Remember that free-writing is unprepared, open-ended, and free-flowing.  The aim is merely to focus your attention on some content and let your ideas flow, even if they diverge in a different direction.  The purpose is to develop a habit of expressing yourself in writing, not to have a perfect composition.

Mark my word.  If you take time to free-write often, you will improve your concentration and gain fluency in written expression.

Try it now by going to Exercise 1 in Free-writing. 

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