“Before you go, what’s the key to successful writing?”
I stared at the professor with a look that had the heat of a thousand suns. I am not great at ad-libbing. This is why I am a writer, not a stand-up comedian. I have a chance to think my thoughts over and tweak them before sharing them with the world.
I had pre-planned my speech introducing his students to the college’s Academic Support Services, including me as a writing tutor. I had answered the expected questions about making appointments, e-tutoring, study groups, effective study techniques. And now he was throwing me a question from left field. Arghhh.
A kid sitting in the back of the room smirked. He knew I had absolutely no idea what to say and this was the highlight of the class for him. He leaned back in his chair, waiting.
“Well, that is an interesting question and so many things come to mind…” I gave the professor another glance, hoping he would jump in with whatever he expected me to say. No such luck. What did he want me to say?
An interesting opening. Consistency. Use of all five senses. Pacing. Organization. Solid research.
“Time.” Wait. Did I say that? Where am I going with this?
"Writing doesn’t come easily for most of us.” Snorts from the audience.
“Sometimes, I think writers – and you all are writers – think if we could just get the words out of our head and on the page or the screen the hard work is done. We forget that this is just our first draft. The first step in a process. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, ‘This is not the beginning of the end but it may be the end of the beginning.’
“So, give yourself the luxury of time. Time to proofread and smooth out your wording. Time to rearrange things. Time to put it away for a day then reread it and see if it still conveys what you want it to say. Time to read it aloud to a friend and get their opinion. Time to hate it and start over.
“Time gives you the opportunity to improve your writing. Time is the key.”
I knew I’d still get students coming in one hour before their assignment was due but maybe someone was listening. Later that week a student came in and started with, “It isn’t due for a month but I thought I should get started early…”
So tell us, if you were in that classroom what would you pinpoint as the key to successful writing?
Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from DIY projects to pretzels to butterflies to treehouses. She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing. Get to know her @jodiwebbwrites, Facebook and blogging at Words by Webb.
3 comments:
I would agree. Time is everything. It's incredible what we create with what time we have. You mentioned having "the luxury of time," that allows critiquing. My future self appreciates me when I take advantage and start early. However, I also reflect on some writings that had me racing the clock. Time has a way of encouraging me to put something on the page. I haven't been disappointed, as I learned to love everything that comes from me. Even if I find it crappy.
"Better out than in..." - Shrek
Good answer! My son would say the same thing to students who run into the math center 30 minutes before an assignment is due. But writing does definitely take more time than a lot of people think. There's the thinking and thinking some more. Reading. Research. A draft. And the time we lose fuming because someone said "if you would just get it together and do it right the first time."
I love that you wrote this in a scene, Jodi! I felt like I was in the room. :) Great post that has me thinking, and I would say the number one key to being a successful writer is persistence. This goes in hand with your notion of time, which I think is more about starting early and focusing on one project until it's done. Many people don't have time, and 95% of people who start a novel do not finish it, so I would say persistence is key, along with making your writing a priority in the moments you have. We all stream shows, watch movies, or do other things that could be traded for writing and revising. I was just talking to my accountability group about bestselling author Freida McFadden who has written 28 novels and is a brain doctor. I doubt she has a lot of time. I've also seen writers who have too much time on their hands procrastinate. There's the saying "If you want to get something done, ask a busy person to do it."
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