My Approach To Writing

Someone recently asked me about how I wrote or authored things and ideas. I hadn't really thought about it that much and the question made me pause and think about my approach to writing.

I am certainly not a skilled or trained writer although I have always loved putting thoughts to paper, expressing feelings and beliefs on the written page. I've enjoyed it when formally writing proposals, responding to inquiries or simply writing a letter to a colleague or a friend. All of the above, it seems, are not done enough either by me or everyone in general.

I've wondered about why I like writing so much and there are two very specific reasons. First, the issue of clarity. It's so important to be as clear as possible when communicating important issues and feelings. The second reason is logic. I love it. I love connecting things, thoughts, facts and ideas. A related fact to each of the above is that I personally have found that I do communicate better in writing vs speaking.

A number of years ago I wrote a short story or two and even tried my hand at dialogue for a play. Those forays didn't really go anyplace but they were at a different time in my life when I was busy raising a family, work and all of the other things that tend to hold us back. Some people have suggested that I write an autobiographical tale, a book or something but I have resisted. There are many tales to tell but that would also be a lot of work.

So I started this blog as one means of fulfilling my love of writing and story telling. My topics are pretty diverse and really depend on the news of the day, things that I've pondered for awhile or in lots of cases, the spirit or the muse that moves me. Some say the site is eclectic, others get frustrated because I don't stick to one topic or subject. Others seem to enjoy it for what it is. You'll find some history, some politics, some philosophy and some humor.

All of this is related to the question of how I write. There are numerous approaches that others use. In reading and watching accounts of some of the greatest writers, I get the sense that a daily schedule and discipline to that schedule is one of the most prevalent ways that writers write. Others seem to write at will and spend more of their planned time at research and detail. I think about all of that and have to smile as I analyze my own approach. Here it is in a nut shell. I consider myself writing all of the time. I do it in my head. I write in my head, rewrite in my head, and search for details in my head. Things start as ideas and blossom into sentences and paragraph before a key is stroked. It's really quite amazing to me but it also points out the greatness of the brain (all, not just mine). To be able to create and organize thoughts and then to remember them at some future date as they are put onto a document. It really is amazing.

So that's my approach. I'm writing constantly in my brain. Coming up with words to express and idea or a thought. Telling a story to myself to assess its value. Trying it out and fixing it along the way. I happen to find this method less controlling and open to many more possibilities. Perhaps in sharing this, more people will be encouraged to try their method of writing no matter what it may entail. I will go on with my approach while I cook, travel, shop or sit on my deck. Writing as I think and thinking as I write.