The Process of Writing
April 26, 2008 – 8:15 pmHaving 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.
Writing styles vary, which is considered to be a good thing by readers. There’s the matter of personal writing style combined with the style most appropriate for the piece being written. These two variables alone combine to produce a rich diversity in the written word.
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.
We’ve touched on planning, researching and writing but that is not the end of the matter. A finished piece that a reader will value needs further attention from the much talked about blue pencil. Work that has been edited is always easy to spot simply because the quality is so much higher.
Editing is the fine work that improves a piece of writing. If writing is the preparation with course sandpaper, editing is the finishing with a finer grade - polishes up a mediocre piece of prose and turns it into an heirloom.
I am an avid reader and passionate writer so I have to declare myself as biased. I want to encourage others to write - either for themselves or others. I want you to experience the joy of creating a piece of written work that adds value to others. It’s a way of connecting and sharing. If this piece has demystified the process of writing and given you some inspiration, I shall be happy.
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