Rehearsing to Write

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967), an American writer best known for her sarcastic wit, once said, “I hate writing; I love having written.”

Can you relate?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a student hammering out a term paper, a manager pounding out a report or a professional writer eking out a story just under deadline, the pressure builds. We agonize, procrastinate, flounder and finally, we choke out a draft. “Why is it so hard?” my clients ask.

I only wish more writers would turn to me before the copyediting or proofreading stage. At earlier stages, it’s still possible to turn a mediocre piece of writing into a great one. I’m happy to assist writers at any stage—and I’ll even polish without suggesting major changes, if requested—but I can’t help but feel bad about the barren stretches they traveled alone, beads of sweat dripping down their foreheads. I wish I’d been there to wipe their brows—and give advice—when the going got tough.

The struggle of writing is the stuff of legend. As the story goes, Ernest Hemingway would lock himself in a room with a bottle of whiskey and emerge a day later with a new short story. As he once said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

It’s a pity Hemingway and Parker didn’t live long enough to benefit from the shift in writing instruction—from product to process—that debuted in the early 1970s. Pioneered by writing experts such as Donald Murray, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and University of New Hampshire professor, The Process Approach revolutionized the way writing is taught.

The Process Approach breaks down writing into a logical sequence: prewriting, writing, revising and editing. Each step leads to the final goal—publishing (which can include anything from a blog posting, to a letter to a friend, to a magazine article). The Process Approach is built on the premise that writing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s meant to be read by a targeted audience.

When you understand that writing is a process, you take it a step at a time, avoiding the trap of comparing your blank screen (or piece of paper) with your favorite novels and columns (“I’ll never be able to write like that!” you think). Published writers—just like you—build their work one word, one paragraph and one chapter at a time. Break down the process into bite-sized pieces, follow the logical sequence of The Process Approach and the struggle will shrink, if not melt away.

When a deadline is looming, it’s tempting to scrimp on the pre-writing stage and we usually pay the price, as Hemingway would say, in blood. Think of pre-writing as a writing-rehearsal. Once you’ve selected a topic, scene or character, give yourself plenty of time to think about it before your fingers hit the keyboard. It’s like taking notes inside your head.

After you’ve tossed your ideas around for a spell, try a free-writing, which gives you another opportunity for rehearsal. Impose a time limit, say 20 minutes, and write without worrying about spelling, punctuation, grammar or form. Keep your fingers (or the pen) moving the entire 20 minutes. Follow your ideas wherever they lead you, without censure. The goal is to loosen up enough to discover what you have to say about the topic. Usually, a focus emerges.

Now you’re ready to start the first draft. But remember: If you falter—and the sweat starts popping out on your forehead—go back to the rehearsal stage or seek the advice of a trusted peer, teacher, editor or coach. Problems at the “writing” stage—or any stage—usually crop up because you didn’t give due diligence to the preceding stage. Makes sense, huh?

Linda Bowman, a writer, editor and writing coach, has been helping people master the writing process for over 20 years. Contact her at The Writing Center at www.tuneyourwriting.com.