Open-ended writing
Open-ended writing is a technique that consists of two basic activities: Free writing and summing up. It allows you to explore a topic, to find anew directions and to identify the tension, conflict, potential, mystery and surprise that may help you start writing. The open-ended method facilitates two kind of thinking processes: creative and evaluative.
- Begin with ten to fifteen minutes of focused freewriting on your selected topic. Remember the rules for freewriting. This writing is private - for your eyes only. Don' worry about whether the writing is good or not. Don't worry about grammar and spelling. Just write what comes. Changing focus is fine. Incomplete sentences are fine. Don't worry about writing down every thought. And don't stop writing.
- After ten to fifteen minutes, pause, stretch, take a deep breath and look around. The reread what you have written. Write down a sentence, phrase, or word that summarizes the most important or interesting thing in you freewrite. What emerges to the foreground? What seems to have the most significance? What has potential, tension, or surprise? What is this writing about? What is the essence or center of gravity?
You don't have to summarize the entire passage. You may focus on something that is repeated or you may focus on a tiny detail. You might jot down the dominant impression or something you notice is missing when you reread. The summary provides the energy for the next step.- Free write again. Let the writing build from the summary and take you in a new direction. Immerse yourself in the words and in the energy of writing. After ten or fifteen minutes, pause, reread and summarize again.
- Repeat this back and forth process until you feel that you have made some useful discoveries - discoveries that will help you approach you writing assignment. In this process you may discover a direction to take, a voice to use, a distance or context that will help you write. You may reveal an audience. You may discover contradictions, or research questions. You may even find an organization format.
- The final step is to use these discoveries to guide the next step in your writing process.
-By Debra Stevens, University of Montana Communications Department