Topi Kettunen

Blogging as a Form of Free Writing

My blogging, or at least the topics and themes of it, has always been quite volatile, to say the least. I haven’t really ever given too much thought to it. Still, I’ve always just written about topics that interest me at the moment in question. This might be the big reason behind the fact of why the topics in this blog vary pretty heavily, all the way from geeky programming topics, to spirituality, to ranting about corporations. You could describe this kind of writing as some sort of “free writing”, a commonly used technique in creative writing.

Regarding my own creative writing, it has always been mainly in Finnish, but these blatherings that I’ve collected for this blog have been fully English. Like my blogging, I’ve never really given too much thought to my language choice here. Maybe there is a small egomaniac in me, like in every other “artist”, and I initially thought that perhaps someone really outside Finland wants to read my writings here, which is why I chose English. Who knows?

But what is this commonly used technique called “free writing”? What does it involve? Well, like the name suggests… it involves free writing. Usually time-boxed writing and usually quite raw and often unusable material. The good thing about this sort of writing is the possibility of just focusing on producing text alone without the fear of censure and with little concern for conventions and mechanics. No regard for spelling, grammar or other corrections. Free to stray off-topic and let your thoughts lead the way. Although considering this blog, my posts haven’t been this free.

Writers of any kind, prose, lyrics, or poems, often tend to be proponents for this sort of writing where you don’t need to worry about failure, deadlines or other forms of resistance. Often mentioned how it helps to “unblock” your writer’s block. Being especially beneficial when done regularly. Is there data on that? Probably. I just don’t have it. I just know how it affects me, whether it is writing incoherent blogs for my website, writing interesting, or in my case not so interesting, lyrics, or any other kind. Just writing something tends to be the biggest helper when it comes to writing anything. Shocker, I know.

Overall, when it comes to writing, it is a skill like any other, and it needs honing. You might be currently writing your next big novel. However, you can still benefit from writing without any framework, a plan, no knowing where it’ll go, no apathy, no resentment, just words on paper. Just for a short period. Maybe 15 minutes. Maybe 30 minutes. Maybe as long as you can’t think of anything, like writing in a trance. This sort of writing doesn’t focus on the product itself but more on the thought process relating to writing.

After that, try returning to your project, whatever it might be. Maybe opening and limbering this process in your mind before you start “real work” helps you. Perhaps it can direct you to places that you never thought to explore. Some might hate free writing, and some might love it.