Freewriter
By Morten Petersen
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Description
A text editor that hacks your attention by turning writing into a game.
Freewriter combines writing a classic exercise and gaming. Free-writing is a method originating from Jack Kerouac, designed to suspend anxiety from deadlines and self-criticism. The game aspect provides immediate feedback while you're writing and a focus score after each session.
When you get stuck, write that. Or write the first sentence again and see what comes out.
“Be submissive to everything. Open. Listening. No time for poetry, but exactly what is.”
- Jack Kerouac
"Don’t try to control it. Stay present with whatever comes up, and keep your hand moving. First thoughts, the way we see the world when we are free from prejudice and can see the underlying principles."
- Natalie Goldberg
"My friend who was beginning her first novel said that she would sit at the typewriter for the first ten minutes and just write about what a terrible writer she was, what a jerk she was to even attempt a novel. Then she pulled out that sheet of paper, tore it up, and began on the task at hand—the next chapter of her novel."
- Natalie Goldberg
Screenshots




Customer Reviews
Helps unclutter the mind
This app is fantastic. It really helps to get your brain flowing and unclog it, so to speak. I’m not really a writer, but this helps me to get clearer thoughts throughout the day. The only issue with this app is that I’m a pretty fast typer, and so I run out of room in the app with about 1 minute left. I can type, and it will show up once the timer runs out, but it won’t show on the screen.
Great app, very fun
I encourage free writing for everyone. No, not everything you write in a free write, especially one using an app like this, will create great art that you can be proud of. In fact, depending on how comfortable you ae with yourself in a loose stream-of-consciousness context, it may well be that a tiny sliver or none of what your write will pass muster with your inner editor. But it is a great way to warm up the brain and get the kinks and the gunk out. It’s perfect warm up for getting into the writing mood. It’s even welcome break from writing more formal writing that has you pulling your hair out. Stop writing that report and jump into five minutes of this then go back to the report. I’m not too sure how the focus score works. The first time I tried the app I received a 50% Focus score despite the fact that I was typing feversihly the whole time in complete sentences. Or maybe that was it? Myabe I shouldn’t have been constantly deleting and retyping when I mistyped a word or forgot a comma? Maybe I should have just gone with the flow? Well, whatever it is, I enjoyed it.
I use plenty of writing apps and the old standby word processors - from MS Word (great all around for work related writing in common format, useful when printing as WYSIWYG) and MS One Note (ideal for note taking throughout the work day) to Day One Journal (name says it all), Rough Draft (again exactly what it says on the tin - I love that app because it keeps your old ideas in place in case you ever change your mind about your wording), and even Scrivener (best novel, short story writing app out there). They all do different things and you can integrate them well depending on your needs. Freewriter is a great tool to add to the arsenal. Maybe someday it may turn up a nugget of gold (I imagine it would be great for free verse poetry). I might add it’s also a great app for writing “Morning Pages” for those of you struggling with that part of Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way.
Helpful, free. Thank you.
This app is entirely free. It helps facilitate the process of free writing. Nuff said.

- Free
- Category: Productivity
- Released: Jul 06, 2015
- Version: 1.0
- Size: 1.5 MB
- Language: English
- Seller: Morten Petersen
- © Morten Just
Compatibility: OS X 10.10 or later, 64-bit processor
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