This writing technique is for anyone who wants to write a personal story and is staring at a blank page. For the past 10 years, our Focused Freeform Jotting (FFJ) writing technique has helped participants in our family memoir workshops—regular folks who aren’t professional writers—start their family story projects. It helps them find a few genuine words to work with. Those words lead to more words. Here’s how to use the FFJ writing technique to start your writing.
Start With Pen and Paper
The FFJ writing technique is particularly effective when you write with pen and paper. Many professional writers find writing with pen and paper beneficial to their process, and it can be helpful to you. Benefits of pen and paper writing include:
- Eliminate online distractions
- More brain connectivity than typing
- Greater access to memories and creativity
- Less brain space is available to the voice of your inner critic.
Switch to your computer when you have a few words to work with. When your thoughts start flowing, working on your computer is more effective and easier.
The Focused Freeform Jotting Writing Technique
The FFJ writing technique aims to help you write your thoughts as freely as you speak them. Every day, you talk to others, sharing thoughts you may not have realized you had.
Oliver Sacks writes in Seeing Voices, “We speak not only to tell other people what we think, but to tell ourselves what we think. Speech is a part of thought.”
FFJ focuses your mind on a topic for a few minutes. Then, you jot words down freeform as they come to mind. Your goal is to discover a few genuine words that resonate with you. Once you do that, you are on your way and will find plenty more. Let’s review each word—focused, freeform, and jotting—to understand their role in the technique.
Focused: There are Two Essential Limits
The FFJ writing technique imposes two limits to engage and narrow your focus.
1. Time Limit
The first is a time limit—you’ll write for no more than 1 to 5 minutes. The time limit reduces some pressure around writing because it’s easier to stick with it for a few minutes.
2. Focusing Question
The second is a thoughtful focusing question. We provide focusing questions for our workshop participants, but you can create a focusing question for yourself. Pick an object related to the personal story you want to write—a tangible item you can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. This could be a photo, a radio broadcast, perfume, food, or any physical item. Start with a Who, What, When, or Where question. For example, “What is [the object]?” Describe it with your five senses. You can also ask where the object came from, who owned it, or when it was created. These questions are easy warm-ups because they yield short, factual answers. Give yourself 1-2 minutes on the timer to answer these questions.
Next, discover words below the surface by asking: “Why does this object matter to me?” If applicable and meaningful, ask, “How did I get this object?” Set your timer for 3-5 minutes for these questions.
Learn more about how to ask questions about your personal history.
Freeform: The Way to Discover Your Genuine Words
With your focusing question at the top of the page and your timer set, you are ready to use the freeform aspect of the FFJ writing technique. Start your timer and write the words that come to your mind. Forget everything you learned in English class because you don’t need to use proper grammar, punctuation, or spelling. Don’t write in complete sentences; words and short phrases will do. Write all words in your mind, even if they are surprising. Imagine you’re discovering the first glimpse of a buried treasure. All you can see is the dusty top; you don’t know what’s inside. Don’t discard or judge any words now—they may be valuable! You’ll have a chance to evaluate them later. Your singular goal of the FFJ writing technique is to discover words.
Jotting: The Feel of this “Writing” Technique
When using the FFJ writing technique, the feel is more like “jotting” than “writing.” You are taking notes on whatever is in your mind. It is probably a familiar feeling. No doubt you’ve jotted a quick note to a family member before. Jotting these words down frees your mind and provides a mental release. FFJ can do the same.
If a lot of your family history surfaces, consider using our Safekeeping Stories Family History Template to keep track of important family information.
4 Tips for Using the FFJ Writing Technique
1. What to Do if Your Mind Goes Blank
If no words about your focusing question are coming to mind, that’s okay. Instead, write what you think about drawing a blank. “My mind is blank, and I can’t think of any words.” Write everything you feel about not answering your first question. When time is up, create a new question about your object and repeat the process. Or select another object and start again.
2. Allow Yourself to Veer Off-Topic
When using the FFJ writing technique, prioritize freedom over focus. If you notice you have veered away from your focusing question, that’s fine! Keep your pen moving the entire time, capturing the words in your mind.
3. For Now, Your First Thought is Your Best Thought
Your goal is to discover words. The only way you can do that is to keep your inner critic at bay. The first words may not be the ultimate words you choose, but these are words in your mind and are valid. Get them out of your mind so you can review them in the final step below.
4. Write “Why?” at the End of a Phrase
While jotting, write the word WHY? after a word or phrase. Then, jot down your answer. Continue asking WHY? up to three times. This practice helps you unlock another layer of your thinking and discover more words.
5. Maintain a Discovery Mindset
Keeping a discovery mindset when using the FFJ writing technique is critical. Here’s a family story to illustrate what I mean. My three-year-old son wanted a Spiderman cake for his birthday. I’m not a “baker,” but I thought it would be fun to make a cake. But it was a hot day, and the Spidey red and blue buttercream icing started to drip. I was upset, criticizing myself by thinking, who was I to try to make a beautiful cake? As I was about to toss it in the trash, my husband walked in and said, “Wow—how’d you get that drippy Spiderman style so perfect?” While I hadn’t meant to create the webbed comic-book look, that’s exactly what I did. I might have realized it myself if I had been in a discovery mindset.
Final Step: Review Your Words
Find a different colored pen for this step (I like to use a green pen). This pen is a gentle, curious, kind child who reads your words on the page and wonders about them. While you may be critical, this pen is not! Spend about a minute reading what you wrote and use your pen to make notes as follows:
- As you review your words, write thoughts that come to mind.
- Circle or underline any word, phrase, or sentence that feels genuine and resonates with you. Even if there’s just one word that feels “right.”
- Write WHY? at the end of any word, phrase, or statement. Answer by jotting down whatever comes to mind.
- Very carefully, cross out any words that don’t feel genuine or resonate with you. They may have served a purpose, like releasing stressful emotions about writing. Or they may have helped you realize there is something else you want to write about.
- Jot down any questions that come to mind.
Want to write a story about your family? We’d love to serve as your guide. Learn more about our Family Memoir Workshop and One-on-One Consulting.
When To Move to Your Computer to Continue Writing
Continue using the FFJ to explore any new questions you discover (questions are valuable words!). Once you have some words that are leading to more words, move to your computer to write more.
The FFJ writing technique can be used for any kind of personal story writing. From a bio for a work project to a college application essay to the start of a family memoir about the lives of your parents and grandparents.
