Freewriting is great. Now organize it.

Sometimes people write their thoughts down as a freewrite; in other words, they write whatever comes to mind that relates (or doesn't) to the topic at hand. This is a great way to get started and generate material to work with. Unfortunately, it is tempting to see all those words in type on a nice sheet of white paper and say "Hey! That looks good. I'm done then." ...Not. Writing must include organizing your thoughts and presenting them well, not willy-nilly. So, here's what I recommend to people who enjoy freewriting. Take that copy of your freewriting and reread it. Make one or two word notes in the margin that describe the gist of each section or sentence. You will start seeing some repeat topics scattered here and there. After you've noted where your brain went in your freewrite, then move the sentences which share topics together. Basically you are grouping like-items, as if you poured granola on the table and then separated the raisins from the oats from the M&Ms from the cashews. Got it? If you're good with computers, you can then use the copy and paste function to move your sentences around. If you like a more hands-on approach, you can use a scissors, cut out the sentences, tape them in the order you want, and then retype. When you get it all organized, then massage it a bit for flow to make it sound pretty.