| WRITING IS PERSONAL | | | | discovering new ideas as you write those ideas. When |
| Writing is very personal. It might be more personal than | | | | this happens, return to the Planning step to work in |
| the settings on your computer. Don't try to | | | | these ideas. You might even find yourself changing |
| impersonate other writers. Find your own style and go | | | | your theme, thesis, or purpose. You might find a new |
| with it. As a young boy learning to play the clarinet and | | | | angle. |
| tenor saxophone, I remember trying to impersonate | | | | 2. Because you are still writing for yourself in this step, |
| Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw on the clarinet, and | | | | you might not find yourself happy with the results at |
| Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young on the tenor | | | | first. Don't agonize over each and every word in this |
| saxophone. I kept asking my teacher, Mr. Vinciaquara, | | | | step. Just put your ideas into words that make sense |
| to help me do this. Did I need a special reed, a different | | | | to you. You will be revising and editing your ideas in the |
| mouthpiece, or another instrument to sound like them? | | | | next step. Just put some words down even if they |
| My teacher told me to be me, not to be someone else. | | | | appear to be silly or awkward. |
| He said that if he gave ten musicians the same | | | | 3. Drafting takes time. The more complex your story is, |
| instrument to play, they would all sound differently. The | | | | the more time you should devote to this step. As you |
| sound comes from within, he said, not from the | | | | discover new ideas and connections, you need the |
| instrument. So what does this mean to writing? It | | | | time to incorporate them into your Planning and |
| comes from within you. | | | | Organizing steps, and then use them in this step. |
| START ANYPLACE | | | | 4. Don't procrastinate, and don't feel that you have to |
| One of the most common statements I hear from | | | | finish your whole Drafting step in one sitting. You simply |
| students who simply want to start or improve their | | | | won't be able to. If, for some reason, you complete the |
| writing is, "I just don't know how to start. Once I get | | | | entire Draft in one sitting, then you must seriously |
| started, I'm OK, but it's the starting part that is so | | | | consider the quality of the work. A draft of your work |
| difficult." What I discover is that most of the time, the | | | | should take about 20 % of your total time, assuming |
| writer has not adequately planned and organized the | | | | you have planned and organized well in the previous |
| work and resources well enough. That's where the | | | | two steps. Obviously, it you have not devoted |
| Planning and Organizing steps are so important. So, if | | | | sufficient time and effort to Planning and Organizing, |
| the intention is to write something without properly | | | | the Drafting step will take longer and be frustrating to |
| planning and organizing, you can be assured the writing | | | | you. When you try to generate ideas, organize the |
| will increase in difficulty. I promise. | | | | ideas, and then write them in interesting sentences in |
| Even with proper planning and organizing, it still might be | | | | one step, you take on too much. Separating the |
| a challenge to begin the document. Further, when this | | | | Planning, Organizing, and Writing Steps makes the |
| happens, many people simply give up. They only think | | | | entire process more pleasurable to the writer and is |
| about what it would be like to write. In my opinion, this is | | | | easier. As you write the draft, make sure you follow |
| unfortunate. What you must understand and | | | | your outline or else change your outline as new ideas |
| completely believe in is that you can start a paper, a | | | | come to you. As you write, you might change things |
| novel, a poem, any document whatsoever, at any | | | | around, delete something, and even add something |
| place ... at the beginning, middle, or end! Since this part | | | | new. |
| of the writing process is the draft, not the finalized | | | | 5. The characters will begin to talk to you and to each |
| version, you can begin at any place you want to ... the | | | | other. Go with this. Appreciate that you are most likely, |
| beginning, middle, or the end. The chances are you will | | | | somehow, describing yourself with one or a few of |
| move parts of the document around during the next | | | | the characters. |
| step, which is the revising step. What you think is the | | | | 6. Avoid too many flash backs and flash forwards |
| beginning may actually be the end, or the middle, or | | | | because that confuses the reader. |
| you might delete it all together. And most importantly, | | | | 7. When you get writer's block ... and you will get it ... all |
| during the writing of the draft of the document, no one | | | | writers get it ... understand that it is simply a signal for |
| knows what you are doing. It is your personal secret! | | | | you to take another path. Work with it. Consider that |
| So, you have all the freedom to do whatever you | | | | perhaps you have not planned or organized very well. I |
| want to do. | | | | often take a physical break when this happens to me. I |
| KEY POINTERS | | | | leave my writing place to do something else. Then, |
| 1. Your brain processes information as you write things | | | | when I return, sometimes only twenty minutes later, I |
| down. You will find yourself making connections and | | | | have a new idea. |