This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Free-flow writing exercises your writing muscles at an accelerated pace
I like writing articles that don’t have an outline because it requires me to think on the fly, which stretches and works my writing muscles at an expedited pace.
I have often blanked out and paused, but the more I practice free-flowing writing, the easier it is to write eloquently on-the-fly.
Some of my best articles published on medium have been free-flow and have also been the ones I have written in little time compared to the outlined articles.
Outlines are helpful because they enforce methodical organization and critical thinking and produce high-quality writing. They also allow you not to think of everything you’ll say on the fly because it’s already planned out.
However, if you practice free-flowing writing, it can help you learn all of these principles on the fly to the point where you don’t require outlines for your articles because the words still spill out in a systematic and organized manner.
Outlines are great, but they are not the end-all-be-all for writers.
A Few Exercises To Try
1. Write free flow for 5 minutes straight
The first time you write free flow for a short period might be the easiest – especially for journal entries. These are excellent ways to get into on-the-fly writing practice.
Let the words come naturally, and write whatever comes to mind.
2. Write free flow for 10 minutes straight
Writing free-flow for an extended period can be difficult on the first try, but the more often you do it, the easier it becomes.
You may run into roadblocks; immediately blast past these and continue writing.
The more you destroy these roadblocks, the more frequently you move past the faux “writer’s block,” which means the less power it will have over your writing and the less time it will take to produce articles.
3. Write free flow for 30 minutes straight
Once you can free-flow write for 30+ minutes, you’re in rare company. This is the flow state when you’re just spilling out words on paper without even trying.
The beautiful thing about consistently writing is that it gets easier and easier with time – even when you take a break from writing.
All you have to do to get into a writing flow is to keep writing and not stop – even when the words and thoughts don’t seem to come.
A few times, my thoughts ceased rolling on this article, but I pushed myself to continue writing without stopping.
As long as you continue writing, you will notice minor improvements.
At first, in your free-flow writing exercises, you will notice many moments of incoherence (you might even notice some in this piece), but over time, there will be fewer occurrences and more occurrences or glimpses of expert writing.
The more you block out negative thoughts, pauses, and break times, the more writing you will produce.
Haven’t tried long stints of free-flow writing? Try it out today.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.