I loved the biopic Hemingway & Gellhorn because in it actor Clive Owen, as Ernest Hemingway, brought to life a story about Hemingway and his writing routine. Hemingway stood at the typewriter and just poked out anything on his mind. He would freely write at a darting pace until the page filled with words. Then, he would rip the page out of the typewriter and toss it away. I always heard this was how Hemingway primed the pump and it was fun to see the story come to life on the screen.

The Freewrite 5-minute prompt works in the same way. Sometimes a full-scene comes to mind. Most often, the prompt forces me to just fill the page with dribble and see what comes of it. Freewrite equals freedom. I love the opportunity to just be free with my thoughts.

Writing this way allows me to be creative. The flowing words feel like paint: I am free to just dab those thoughts on paper and see if they resemble anything.