Blog one

I found the first chapter interesting. I had a creative writing class in high school, and we would do free writing exercises at the beginning of every class. Free writing has helped me with some of my previous writings. It is very helpful when you are not sure where to begin writing. Free writing can be therapeutic. It gives you the opportunity to express yourself without anyone judging you. The purpose of free writing is to help us write fluently. No one has to read your work. It is personal. Everyone should try it.
The second chapter was very informative. Elbow makes some great points. Don’t write until you know what you are going to write. Brainstorming is something everyone should do before they begin writing. Making outlines and jotting things down is also helpful. Collect all of your thoughts together before beginning to write. I find that making an outline and writing my ideas down on paper helps me with the writing process. You are basically preparing yourself for what you are about to tackle. This is a great way to keep your thoughts organized.
Elbow has great advice for people who are having difficulties with writing. I like that Elbow shared his personal experiences in his book. It gives everyone that thinks they can’t write some hope. He gives us several writing techniques to get started. He recommends that you free write whenever you get stumped. Just write down everything you know about the topic. I am going to try this technique when I am unsure what to write. I like that he says to stop worrying about the grammar and choice of words. When you are done writing, you can correct grammar and change words. I believe he says, “Stop trying to write well.” I think people try to make their writings perfect the first time. It is the person who writes several drafts who creates the better papers.
I like that Elbow incorporates his own free writing journal entries in his book. It shows us that you can write anything in your own free writing. You lose some control during free writing. It gives you the opportunity to truly be open. After all the free writing, it is time to edit. This is the last step in the growth process. This is the time to rearrange any phrases and use more sophisticated words. “One needs to be open to bad writing in order to get to good writing.” I have to agree with Elbow completely. It is the only way to improve our writing skills.