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The Process of Writing

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Written by Jessica R Hartley

Sunday, 13 April 2008

by JessicaRHartley

Having been sold on the dream of the paperless office many breathed a sigh of relief that they would no longer be required to write. What they hadn't bargained for was the need for written content in emails and web sites. Even if we ignore the internet there are still many times when a written communication is more appropriate than any other format. Being willing and able to write is, in my view, essential.

Pianists practice at the piano. Tennis players practice at the net. Athletes practice at the track. They all recognise that skills need to be developed and honed if they are to be maintained.

There is actually no simpler process than writing. I know you will find that hard to believe but all writers do is to take their ideas and translate them into squiggles on paper, or a computer screen. The challenge for anyone wanting to write is to distinguish between thoughts that could be useful and thoughts which are just the background noise created by life.

What is good writing? All answers to this would be subjective and therefore varied. It is probably easier to say what is bad writing. For me, any writing that can be read easily, that is unambiguous and that imparts something interesting or essential, is good.

Writers need to maintain a fine balance between time spent on planning and research and time spent on writing. All writers will have a preference and will need to compensate in the area in which they do not spend sufficient time. Too much of either is not a good thing.

It is because all writers have their own distinctive style that as a species we are blessed with such a rich literary background. New writers are sometimes tempted to emulate the style of a successful writer and whilst I can understand this, I would encourage everyone to have confidence in their own uniqueness.

For me it's important that whatever I read causes me to pause and think. I don't want to be bored. I don't want to find myself speed reading and scanning pages. I want to enter the mind of the writer and learn something new or be offered the opportunity to look at things in a different way. That is the essence of good writing.

Time is probably the most valuable commodity we all have and it is something we want to spend wisely. How cheated we feel when we invest time to read but find the words provide no value in return.

Whilst some fear writing and think it is difficult, it's a piece of cake compared to editing.

Editing is a different animal from proof reading. The latter is an exercise to spot errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax and the plain old typo. Editing is the process by which a raggle-taggle collection of words is pummelled and pounded until it becomes clear prose that is a joy to read.

As a lifelong reader and writer I so want to see others enjoy writing. At the very least I would like to remove the fear so many seem to hold about the process of writing. My wish for you is that you find some inspiration here that encourages you to pick up your pen once again. Write for the sheer fun of it. Write simply because you can.

About the Author:

Jessica R Hartley offers a complementary online writing course and writers forum to encourage anyone who yearns to write. A professional writer she is passionate about encouraging writing skills in others. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.

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