What term did Jack Kerouac use for his rapid, spontaneous writing method?

Jack Kerouac called his rapid, improvised writing method “spontaneous prose.”

Kerouac developed the idea as an alternative to heavily revised literary composition. He wanted prose to follow the movement of thought, speech, memory, and jazz-like rhythm. His approach emphasized continuous writing, emotional immediacy, and an avoidance of pauses that might interrupt the author’s momentum.

The method became closely associated with On the Road, although the novel’s published text was edited and shaped before publication. Kerouac’s famous 1951 draft was typed on a continuous roll of paper, but that physical detail should not be confused with the entire theory of spontaneous prose.

Kerouac explained his principles in essays and statements such as “Essentials of Spontaneous Prose.” Critics have debated how spontaneous his finished books actually were, since publishers, editors, and Kerouac himself revised manuscripts. The term nevertheless remains his clearest label for the technique.