The Scoop on Writing - A Writer"s Work is Never Done
I envy the authors who love everything they write.
This is not my experience.
When I read work I produced years ago sometimes I wish I had used a different word or expanded a point.
Why does this happen?I think it has a lot to do with the nature of writing.
1.
Writing is a process.
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Online Writing and Communication Center, the writing process has four steps: pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing.
MIT says the drafting process is writer-centered and the revising process is reader-centered.
2.
Experience is ongoing.
A writer's life is like pebbles washed by the sea.
Each wave, or experience, changes us.
There are times when life goes smoothly.
Other times life is rough or even harsh.
Whether you write novels, biographies, self-help books, articles, plays, short stories, poetry, or something else, your life experience is in your work.
3.
Words change.
Years ago I would not have used the word "stuff.
"Now I do.
I use the word because it applies to so many things.
"Cool" is another new word for me and I use it because it is part of daily conversation.
English is a descriptive language and I love to find new words.
4.
Writing skills keep growing.
The University of Wisconsin Writing Center has posted writing tips on its Web site.
While the tips are for thesis writing, one applies to all writing.
"As you consider your topic, you want to make sure that you narrow it enough," the center advises.
Every writer must learn how to narrow the topic and drive the point home.
5.
Writers are always learning.
Where do writers get their information?According to the University of Wisconsin they get it from many sources: research, observations, descriptions, case studies, interviews, personal experience, hypothetical situations, definitions, and more.
New information may change your thinking on past work.
It is one of the reasons I edit previous work in my head.
6.
Purposes change.
Freelance writers know about changing purposes because of their different writing assignments.
You may write a brochure one week and edit a book chapter the next.
This has been a year of tragedy for me and these tragedies altered my life and my work.
I am writing Internet articles about my experiences to help others recover from tragedy.
7.
Writers accept challenges.
Kenneth Roberts, who wrote best-selling historical novels and received a 1957 Pulitzer Prize citation, describes his personal writing challenges in his autobiography, "I Wanted to Write.
"Roberts tells about posting a writing schedule by his bed.
According to the schedule, he was to write a chapter every four days and 1,500 words a day.
"My heart sank whenever I looked at it," admitted Roberts.
Still, he accepted the challenge.
These are some of the reasons why a writer's work is never done.
Dedicated writers don't want to be "done," they want to keep on writing.
They love words, making word choices, framing sentences, and creating paragraphs.
We are writers because our work is always changing and evolving, just like us.
Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson
This is not my experience.
When I read work I produced years ago sometimes I wish I had used a different word or expanded a point.
Why does this happen?I think it has a lot to do with the nature of writing.
1.
Writing is a process.
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Online Writing and Communication Center, the writing process has four steps: pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing.
MIT says the drafting process is writer-centered and the revising process is reader-centered.
2.
Experience is ongoing.
A writer's life is like pebbles washed by the sea.
Each wave, or experience, changes us.
There are times when life goes smoothly.
Other times life is rough or even harsh.
Whether you write novels, biographies, self-help books, articles, plays, short stories, poetry, or something else, your life experience is in your work.
3.
Words change.
Years ago I would not have used the word "stuff.
"Now I do.
I use the word because it applies to so many things.
"Cool" is another new word for me and I use it because it is part of daily conversation.
English is a descriptive language and I love to find new words.
4.
Writing skills keep growing.
The University of Wisconsin Writing Center has posted writing tips on its Web site.
While the tips are for thesis writing, one applies to all writing.
"As you consider your topic, you want to make sure that you narrow it enough," the center advises.
Every writer must learn how to narrow the topic and drive the point home.
5.
Writers are always learning.
Where do writers get their information?According to the University of Wisconsin they get it from many sources: research, observations, descriptions, case studies, interviews, personal experience, hypothetical situations, definitions, and more.
New information may change your thinking on past work.
It is one of the reasons I edit previous work in my head.
6.
Purposes change.
Freelance writers know about changing purposes because of their different writing assignments.
You may write a brochure one week and edit a book chapter the next.
This has been a year of tragedy for me and these tragedies altered my life and my work.
I am writing Internet articles about my experiences to help others recover from tragedy.
7.
Writers accept challenges.
Kenneth Roberts, who wrote best-selling historical novels and received a 1957 Pulitzer Prize citation, describes his personal writing challenges in his autobiography, "I Wanted to Write.
"Roberts tells about posting a writing schedule by his bed.
According to the schedule, he was to write a chapter every four days and 1,500 words a day.
"My heart sank whenever I looked at it," admitted Roberts.
Still, he accepted the challenge.
These are some of the reasons why a writer's work is never done.
Dedicated writers don't want to be "done," they want to keep on writing.
They love words, making word choices, framing sentences, and creating paragraphs.
We are writers because our work is always changing and evolving, just like us.
Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson
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