The Right Way
In a follow up to my post from Friday, Writing Advice, I went in search of something from a working author that might lend weight to my words for those who believe in a more black and white theory of process. It was under my nose, here on my desk. I remembered sitting at Books A Million, thinking “yes!” as I read the following words:
For there isn’t any “right” way to do such personal work. There are all kinds of writers and all kinds of methods, and any method that helps you to say what you want to say is the right method for you. Some people write by day, others by night. Some people need silence, others turn on the radio. Some write by hand, some by computer, some by talking into a tape recorder. Some people write their first draft in one long burst and then revise; others can’t write the second paragraph until they have fiddled endlessly with the first.
But all of them are vulnerable and all of them are tense. They are driven by a compulsion to put some part of themselves on paper…”
The above is taken from the first chapter of On Writing Well, now in its 9th publication, by William Zinsser. The quote on the back cover from Library Journal says it all:
Not since The Elements of Style has there been a guide to writing as well presented and readable as this one. A love and respect for the language is evident on every page.
The reason this subject of process comes up so frequently for me is that I am, by nature, a coach, an encourager, someone who helps others to find their own solutions. I have read the black and white versions of literary process and learned from them…but I will never say there is only one way to do something. Writing is an individual, often lonely process, and the methods of its successful execution are as varied as the writers themselves.
I am a writer, and therefore I produce words. However, my passion is the process. My study is of the means by which writers write. From this study, perhaps I can find ways to encourage other writers when they feel something isn’t quite right or when they stumble. Most certainly, I learn for myself, and have improved both my personal process and the quality of the words I write.
Established writers and authors have already found and honed their process. For those pen holders out there who are thinking of writing, I say again…learn from them all, and then do what works for you.
“However, my passion is the process.”
OH HELL YES!
You know what, I have a friend who is going through wondering if he should shut his blog down or not. I think this will help him out a ton. Thanks for posting this when you did!
Glad you approve, Matthew!
Sal, keep encouraging him. It can be a rough road, especially for those of us starting at the same time Sean did, watching our comments sections go empty day after day while his ranked 50+. It’s a road worth traveling, in my opinion.