Forget The Words, Write With Thought
Flipping through an old binder of mine from my incredible experience in Donna Ladd ’s writing classes, I found a Chip Scanlan article from last summer that I printed out and saved:
“Ways with Words, Ways with Thoughts: A Bond with Abraham Lincoln”
Chip got me thinking — which is somewhat amusing, since the whole premise of his post is about how good writers are good at what they do, not because they have a way with words, but because they are so savvy with their thoughts. So,
I only recently discovered how much passion I have for writing. I never had any trouble writing well, and never objected to writing during those years in college and graduate school. But, even through all that writing, I never found the spark to power that intense fire I now have for my craft.
Going back and reading Chip’s article I was suddenly aware of why it took me so long to find that fervor, and why so many people struggle so desperately when faced with the task of writing something - anything.
At War With a Blank Page
Writers and non-writers alike have experienced it. Sitting in front of a clean, white document on your computer screen, or staring at the unfilled lines of a legal pad on your desk. A blank page can be seriously intimidating if you approach it haphazardly. And, for the longest time, I approached it by eyeing what I just assumed was the prize for good writing: the language and the words.
I was so concerned with beautiful presentation, I ignored a fairly important detail. Was my material even worth presenting?
Seeking a Deeper Meaning
It wasn’t instantaneous. I didn’t roll out of bed one morning and decide, “Okay, today is the day I really start to think about my writing.” It would have save a lot of wear an tear on my computer’s backspace key, I can promise you that. No, instead, I gradually opened my eyes to new ideas about the writing process. I credit Donna Ladd, Anne Lamott, Julia Cameron, Chip Scanlan and so many other great thinkers with that awakening.
I finally stepped outside my ego and let go of that unhealthy desire for perfection in every word I put down on paper. Suddenly, writing became my way of making sense of everything, everywhere and everyone I encountered. I was on a quest to find the greater meaning, the ultimate truths, and I had the most reliable compass in the world to lead my on that journey.
Challenging Your Own Thoughts
The next time you get ready to sit down and type or write something, don’t do it. Well, not yet anyway. You probably are not as ready as you think. Instead, take a few minutes, or even a few hours if you’ve got the time, and really think about what you plan to write. You could ask yourself a million questions, but on account of space and bandwidth, I won’t list all of them. Here are some of my favorite questions, thought, that are sure to get your wheels turning. After that the words are easy.
- What will shock the reader most?
- In 10 words, how can I sum up what my story is about?
- What image or symbol best fits my story?
- What famous quote best relates to the topic?
- What one thing MUST be included in the story?
- What one thing can be left out?
- How many scenes does your story need to make sense?
- Is there conflict between any characters?
- Do things backwards. What should your final paragraph say?
- What are 5 words that best describe the sense of place you want to convey to your reader?
- The lede: what piece of info will make the reader want to keep reading?
- Pick 5 things in your story (a character, a place, and object) and list descriptive adjectives for each.
- What makes this story original?
- Think about how you might tell your story to a child?
The possibilities are endless. Once you become open to exploring new directions for your story, you’ll be surprised at how easily your thoughts start flow, and how easy and enjoyable writing is because of that.
