Generative writing (Boice 1990) is similar to freewriting in that it does not have to be constrained – or supported – by the traditional features of academic writing. It works in a similar way, initially to force writing, and over the longer term to develop ease and fluency in writing.
As this checklist suggests, generative writing is more closed than freewriting, more focused on one topic. Unlike freewriting, it can be read by someone else – though this is optional – and that usually changes writers’ experiences dramat- ically; they become much more aware of the requirements of the audience, their responsibility to make their writing make sense and, most acutely, the potential for judgement of their writing.
In writing workshops, when we do the two activities together, generative writing frequently makes an effective, focusing follow-up to the more open, exploratory freewriting. The value of having someone else read the generative writing is that it can break the ice; writers can get used to people reading their writing, even in rough draft form. However, some writers do not see any pur- pose in letting someone read their writing when, as they see it, it is in such a poor state.
If this prompts discussion of how the reader affects our writing then that has had some use already. If, in addition, we take time to consider the fact that all the writing we submit for scholarly scrutiny, particularly when writing a thesis, will be, if not first draft, then early rough draft, then we can begin to adjust our perceptions of what is ‘good enough’ to show to a reader. If we can go a step further and acknowledge that all of our writing is ‘good enough’ for the stage that we are at, then we may have arrived at a more realistic model of the writing process. This does not mean that we will feel completely comfortable about showing our work to readers; but it may result in our feeling less uncomfortable.
Generative writing – same routine What’s the difference?
• Write for five minutes
• Without stopping
• In sentences
• Stick to one topic, possibly something from your freewriting
• Let someone else read it
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In combination, freewriting and generative writing can work together:
freewriting produces a string of loosely related sentences, while generative writing about some part of the freewriting produces more focused writing.
Having said that, thesis writers who have tried both strategies once often remark that they respond more readily to generative writing, since it seems more like structured writing. That may, indeed, be its strength or weakness.
There will be times in the doctoral process when your writing does not seem to find a structure, when you are still working out what you want to say and when the characteristics of academic writing do not chime with how your thinking is developing and seem, in fact, to block your writing. At such times students often find that freewriting is more helpful than generative writing. As one put it: ‘Before you do anything, write for five minutes . . . It helps you to focus or consolidate.’
A key strategy for making sure that freewriting and generative writing are productive is to follow them with discussion. The combination of writing and talking often stimulates further writing. If you work with someone else on this activity you both have a real audience, both get an immediate response to your writing and can both prompt each other to write a little more or, at least, to decide what your next writing activity or task will be.
This ‘writing sandwich’ is an effective means of bringing writing and discus- sion together, while ensuring that writing is not only discussed, but also performed. This sequence need take no more than 30 minutes, once or twice a week:
This activity can be practised in a writers’ group or between two postgraduates.
It may even be useful for student–supervisor working sessions, as both try to clarify a point in the discussion or text.
These three strategies – writing to prompts, freewriting and generative writing – may prove immediately useful, or may be so unlike the writing you generally do that they seem unlikely to help. While they are worth persevering with, particularly for specific purposes early in a large project, and while they have been shown to help writers develop confidence and fluency, there is perhaps a need for consolidation:
The ‘writing sandwich’
1 Writing 10 minutes 2 Talking 10 minutes 3 Writing 10 minutes
This question – a very valid one – has already been addressed in this chapter, but is raised here for individual writers to stop to consider how they assess the value of these strategies. More specifically, in addition to their general reaction to the strategies, writers should consider (1) what they produced using these strategies; (2) what they learned about writing; and (3) what they learned about themselves as writers.
What the value of any of these strategies is – or could be – is for the individual writer to discover.
This chapter has presented strategies for getting started in writing. Starting from scratch is taken to mean that very small steps are appropriate. This is still an exploratory phase and writing is one of the tools for exploration. However, it is time to think about more structured writing.
The next chapter explores the challenge of finding structure in your writing, perhaps before you really believe it is feasible to produce structured writing.
This is not to say that you should stop freewriting and generative writing, nor that they will be replaced by structured writing. Thesis writing is not a linear process. There will be many iterations and many continuing uses for generative writing strategies. If you need a reminder of the range of uses of freewriting, go back to the checklist. The checklist on the uses of freewriting is not simply intended for the ‘starting to write’ phase; it also has important
‘continuing to write’ benefits.
Consolidation
How will scribbling for ten minutes help me write a thesis?
The value of ‘scribbling’
• For short, regular writing tasks or bursts
• To find a topic for a chapter/section/paragraph
• To find a focus in/for writing
• To get started, ‘get something down on paper’
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