5 Things – Writing

Recently, a friend of mine has been toying with the idea of “finding his inner author” and posted a status on Facebook asking for some suggestions about what books/resources he should read to get started – or, as he put it, build a good foundation.

Since he posed the question, and because I’m always a sucker for an inviting status post like that, I’ve been thinking about this a bit. As a former teacher (and now curriculum developer), writing, teaching writing, and working with the writing of others is part of “what I do.” Clearly, it’s also something I do “off the clock”. In fact, I’m not sure I can compartmentalize writing anymore – it’s vital to both my professional success and mental well-being.

But, his question made me think.

What would I tell folks who are not in a place where formal instruction is desired or necessary?

[I need to admit here that one of the coolest things about teaching is taking something that you know and trying to remember what it was like to NOT know it. The act of dissecting something that's second nature is extremely interesting and I highly recommend it. Please warn friends and family prior to starting though - it can become an obsession and I'm all about the warning before the OCD kicks in!]

So here are my top 5 writing tips – in no particular order. Hopefully, these will be helpful for someone struggling to find “their inner author”.

1. Don’t THINK about writing. BE a writer.

Too much thinking can kill a good creative streak! Now, don’t get me wrong, good writers think and plan and draft and think and plan and draft … but those are actions toward a goal! Don’t get stuck on the idea of “being a writer” or think that there is a method or procedure or recipe that you can use to become one. Just write. … and write and write and write. It doesn’t even matter if what you are writing is formal or grammatically correct or even if it makes sense. It matters that you are getting your thoughts on paper. That’s the biggest hurdle most of the time!

Oh, and please fortheloveofallthatisgoodandrightwiththeworld, please don’t worry about your spelling or handwriting!!! [You know, assuming that you still write on paper with a real pen, pencil, or even a nice colorful crayon from time-to-time.]

Blank paper, like the dark, can be scary and overwhelming. Turn the light on – get something down. Draw a picture. Write a letter. Scribble. Write down everything that comes into your head. Rhyme as many words as you can. Write a shopping list. The act of writing is the first step to becoming a better writer.

While we are here at the “being a writer” discussion, I should mention that it will probably help to rid yourself of any romanticized notions you might have about writing. It’s very often hard work. Although I secretly have visions of writing from a perch overlooking a crystal clear, blue ocean in a house full of windows. Of typing away, hearing the breeze, listening to the waves and the seabirds, and seeing an occasional whale or sea lion. I do know that this daydream is more than a tad unrealistic – both from a monetary and work efficiency standpoint. While I’m sure that some writers write in these exotic/romantic settings, I’d be willing to bet that most find their get-away at Starbucks or on their very regular living room couch. So, get thee a pumped up cuppa coffee and find a comfortable spot!

2. Embrace the messiness.

Writing is a messy business. It’s all thoughts and scribbles and phrases and rabbit trails [*grin*] and run on sentences and  … you get the idea. It’s OK. Relax. That’s part of the process. It can actually the best part of the process if you let it. This is the place and time when anything is possible. Anything!

Sometimes the messy is in your mind. You incubate your thoughts for a long time and then whoosh, it all spills on the page in a mostly-coherent draft. Although some writing teachers don’t formally count that as drafting, for my money that’s one solid way through the writing process. I tend to be a fan of what works over formal process definitions – especially when it comes to stretching the creative muscle.

Sometimes that mental drafting doesn’t work. When that happens, the mess may show up as hundreds of sticky notes or words flowing over pages and pages in a document or journal or blog. While this looks a bit messier, this often brings all of the possibilities together. [A very beautiful thing, I think!] At this point the ideas need a little tidying up … sort of like scrapbooking your family vacation. You make decisions about what ideas and phrases work in your current project and the rest becomes material for other/future projects.

Whatever your mess looks like, don’t be in too much of a rush to reign it in and don’t be embarrassed or shy about it. Celebrate the mess! Embrace it … let it be messy. You’ll clean it up eventually … probably more than once!

3. Read. Read. Read.

It’s almost cliche at this point and if it wasn’t so dang true, I’d skip it here. But, the role reading plays in becoming a good/better writer … well, it’s vital. Good writers have good models. Good writers read. If you are a blogger (or want to be), read blogs. If you want to write fiction, read a lot of fiction. If you want to write non-fiction, read a lot of non-fiction. Yep, it’s about that simple. Well, sort of.

Just reading good writing won’t automatically make you a better writer. You’ll need to pay attention to the devices, tone, and style used by the folks you are drawn to. What do they do to move the story along? What tone do they use? How do they handle dialog? What forms of poetry do they choose? What topics do they tend to write about? What draws you to their writing? What do you like/dislike about their approach to a topic? In short, you want to read like a writer. It takes things to a whole different level.

Then, the fun begins. You can try on their style for size. Pick an author’s style/tone and write something that mimics it. See what’s comfortable. See what’s not. This part is play, but I think it’s important play. You don’t want to mimic or become someone else long-term, you just want to wear their literary shoes for a bit.

I believe it’s also incredibly helpful to read what good writers say about writing and their process. I’ve mentioned Anne Lamott here before. Her Bird by Bird remains one of my favorites – and a perennial read for me. There are some online folks that I’ve found as well. I really like The Novel Doctor. I love how he uses language and humor … and I adore, absolutely adore, this post. It is spot on!

Literature, blogs, writing discussions … these become your resources and models. The advice and examples become part of your tool box! Invaluable.

4. Get social.

One of the things I’ve found most true about writing is this … audience is everything! Knowing your audience matters. Having an audience matters.

When you are your only audience, you write differently than when you write KNOWING that someone else will read your work. The difference is more than content. It’s more than dealing with the distinction between personal and shared content. There is something about “being published” that causes you to carefully consider your words and writing structure in a way that simply doesn’t happen when you are writing in a personal journal.

Oh, and here’s the good news. Being “published” doesn’t have to mean submitting work to a publisher and getting it printed in a known or highly distributed print/online publication. It simply means putting your work “out there” in a place where others can read and react to it. This opens up a wide range of possibilities that include personal blogs, “notes” in Facebook, and sharing with a colleague.

Time for a fair warning. Getting social on this level can be scary. The “What Ifs” can be overwhelming. What if the readers don’t like it? What if readers are highly critical of my work? What if everyone else posts something that is so much better? What if I can’t be as good as [insert writer's name here]? It can be terrifying. But, it’s a necessary part of getting better. You need feedback. You need to be pushed. You need to know, specifically and in some detail, where others are struggling with what you’ve written. That’s how you grow. It’s how you become better. It’s how you get out of your own way … out of your own head. It’s scary and frustrating and hard to hear (sometimes).

But, guess what? It’s likely that this new social group of yours will also tell you what’s good about your writing. They’ll celebrate your strengths and help you work through the challenges. They’ll give you support. They’ll become your writing family. They’ll make the hard work worthwhile because writing is meant to be read! Having readers is wonderfully energizing … having readers that make you want to be a better writer is a gift.

There are quite a few places writers/artists congregate online. Here are a few. You might want to try them on for size.

• National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) -is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world.
• National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) – National Blog Posting Month is the epicenter of daily blogging! People who want to set the habit of blogging by doing it every day for a month, including weekends, can come here for moral support, inspiration, and the camaraderie that only marathon blogging can provide.
• Art House Co-op – Art House creates massive, nationwide art projects that tie hundreds of artists together – and anyone can participate.

5. Play with words.

Sometimes work really is play and the old saying, “All work and no play…” comes directly into focus. I find writing is one of those situations. Mixing up your writing time with a combination of “real” writing and just taking time to explore or work with words is, in my opinion, vital for keeping the wheels on the road. (It’s also a fun way to get past a spell of writer’s block!) The great thing about this one is that there are ALL KINDS of ways to mix it up so, by all means, play your way!

Here are some of my favorites.

• Complete an “assignment”. I like the challenges in Room to Write by Bonni Goldberg.
• Design a Twitter-friendly/tweetable story .. 140 characters at a time.
• Find or take a picture of something and sketch out the back story.
• Create and describe a new character.
• Invent humorous/clever status entries for Facebook (or the social network of your choice).
• Find a poetry form/pattern and write a poem using it. (I especially like to write against type – like using Haiku for distinctly non-nature oriented topics.)
• Rewrite the words to a favorite song or nursery rhyme. (Really want a challenge? Work your kids/family into the new song lyrics on the fly to entertain them while making dinner. Write these down, they’ll ask you to sing them again!)
• Challenge yourself to write a paragraph about an everyday topic using using alliteration a la