First of all I want to say awesome blog! I had a quick question that I'd like to ask if you do not mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your head before writing. I've had a difficult time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there. I truly do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally lost just trying to figure out how to begin.
Thank you for the kind words and the question. Sorry that the reply has taken so long. Here are my thoughts:
The answer slightly depends on what kind of writing you had in mind. But only slightly, as there is one thing in common both for creative writing as well as essay or similar writing for an exam where there is the added pressure of a time limit and scoring. That thing is PLANNING.
You mention that you feel 10-15 minutes are lost trying to figure out how to begin. Well, from my experience in writing, reading about writing or teaching writing, I would suggest that even with the time limit of 40 min in the IELTS exam at least 5 to 10 min prior to beginning need to be INVESTED in planning. Not merely thinking about how to begin but rather thinking about the main point, the thesis, the body of the text and even the ending...somehow, the beginning comes last... once you know what you want to write and how you will end, it is only then that you can begin and be confident, focusing more on the execution (style, wording or innovative structures) than on content.
There are different views and different approaches...and again this kind of planning is strongly advised for essay writing which should consist of 5 steps where only the 5th one is writing...it is preceded by: analysing the question, thinking about the answer and planning the answer. However, even creative writers would agree, and, if I am not mistaken, Arthur Conan Doyle is one such example - they begin a novel with an end in mind. I have had experiences where I would begin writing suddenly not knowing what will come next or where it will end but that can be the case with short stories written out of the blue without any expectations. That is great when it happens, but not very frequent. Another quote I remember are the words of William Faulkner, a "full time" writer: "I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o'clock every morning."
This short reply to a very good question which has been the subject of many books is meant only to encourage you to make the 10 minutes something to treasure rather than to try and eliminate them but I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
First of all I want to say awesome blog! I had
ReplyDeletea quick question that I'd like to ask if you do not mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your head before writing. I've had a difficult time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there.
I truly do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like
the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally lost just trying to figure out how to begin.
Any ideas or tips? Thank you!
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Dear Reader,
DeleteThank you for the kind words and the question. Sorry that the reply has taken so long. Here are my thoughts:
The answer slightly depends on what kind of writing you had in mind. But only slightly, as there is one thing in common both for creative writing as well as essay or similar writing for an exam where there is the added pressure of a time limit and scoring. That thing is PLANNING.
You mention that you feel 10-15 minutes are lost trying to figure out how to begin. Well, from my experience in writing, reading about writing or teaching writing, I would suggest that even with the time limit of 40 min in the IELTS exam at least 5 to 10 min prior to beginning need to be INVESTED in planning. Not merely thinking about how to begin but rather thinking about the main point, the thesis, the body of the text and even the ending...somehow, the beginning comes last... once you know what you want to write and how you will end, it is only then that you can begin and be confident, focusing more on the execution (style, wording or innovative structures) than on content.
There are different views and different approaches...and again this kind of planning is strongly advised for essay writing which should consist of 5 steps where only the 5th one is writing...it is preceded by: analysing the question, thinking about the answer and planning the answer. However, even creative writers would agree, and, if I am not mistaken, Arthur Conan Doyle is one such example - they begin a novel with an end in mind. I have had experiences where I would begin writing suddenly not knowing what will come next or where it will end but that can be the case with short stories written out of the blue without any expectations. That is great when it happens, but not very frequent. Another quote I remember are the words of William Faulkner, a "full time" writer: "I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o'clock every morning."
This short reply to a very good question which has been the subject of many books is meant only to encourage you to make the 10 minutes something to treasure rather than to try and eliminate them but I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Best Wishes,