I’ve been thinking about three Ws of writing. Why do I write? When do I write? What medium do I use to write? If I recall correctly, this whole idea came about chatting with fellow writer friends. The conversation went something like this:
Tina: “I just entered another contest, of course I want to win, because I think it’s really important to get my name out there.”
AnneMarie: “I just want to win; it’s the same high I got in high school when I’d place in a track meet. I’m competitive I guess.”
Me: “I’m not sure why I entered; it just sounded like a fun challenge.”
I really don’t remember much of the conversation after that point. I was stuck inside my own head; I tend to think everyone is just like me. I was glad we had the conversation and it gave me some insight. Tina has monthly budget, life goals, professional goals, and short term plans as well as long term plans. Her writing is no different. She plans to publish her memoir in the spring and getting the publicity of winning a few contests will help increase her name recognition when her memoir is available. AnneMarie writes because she loves it and her ultimate goal is to get traditionally published. If she has long and short term writing goals she doesn’t share them and she is very private. I, on the other hand, am an open book. I have long and short term goals for just about every area of my life, and just having blog traffic is enough to make me feel heard as a writer. Each of us has a different “why I write” story, and I bet there are as many stories as there are writers. That is definitely a lesson for me … again, not everyone is just like me (whew)!
Now onto the WHEN of writing; are you a:
• Late-night-writer?
• Early-morning-writer?
• Only-when-all-the-other-work-is-done-writer?
• Right-before-my-deadline-writer?
• Especially-when-I’m stressed-writer?
I find this answer changes with life events. Honestly, right now I’m not writing anything longer than a blog post or short story. I’m pregnant and feel like I have a hard time concentrating for long periods of time. My writing right now on long pieces feels choppy and bounces around too much. That’s not to say that I’ve always been that way; just right now I prefer shorter pieces and I like to write first thing in the morning but then again I like to journal late at night. What works for you? When is your WHEN?
Now onto what may possibly be the most discussed W … WHAT medium do you use to write? Of course this depends at which phase in a process you may be but I guess the question is: What do you write with when you begin something new? Do you sit down with a keyboard because you like to edit as you go? Do you use an old type-writer, because you love the nostalgic feel of the keys and the rhythmic sound? Do you grab your laptop and open a new word document? Do you have a leather covered note-book and a favorite pen? What brings out your creativity?
I like to use a fine point pen and a favorite old notebook. The look of the letters on the page can be as romantic and musical as the story being told (this is especially true when I write poetry). Typing can be faster, but I find myself too easily distracted by social media and emails. Even if I turn off my wireless connection I still don’t get the same satisfaction … for some reason, writing out the words: the car was hit from behind, and I felt myself plummeting down the embankment toward certain death has a completely different feel when I can press a little harder or softer, underline as needed, etc., and as much as I enjoy banging on my keyboard, it hasn’t doesn’t come across with the same conviction and passion as those hand written pages
Please share your W’s in the comments below. That is one of the great things about being an avid WOW! reader and writer, it brings us together regardless of our physical location and allows us to celebrate our writerhood and our sisterhood. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Crystal J. Casavant-Otto is a church musician, business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Reedsville, Wisconsin with her husband, two young children (Carmen 6 and Andre 5), three dogs,two rabbits, four little piggies, and over 200 Holsteins. Crystal and her husband, Mark are expecting another son at the end of September.
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Tina: “I just entered another contest, of course I want to win, because I think it’s really important to get my name out there.”
AnneMarie: “I just want to win; it’s the same high I got in high school when I’d place in a track meet. I’m competitive I guess.”
Me: “I’m not sure why I entered; it just sounded like a fun challenge.”
I really don’t remember much of the conversation after that point. I was stuck inside my own head; I tend to think everyone is just like me. I was glad we had the conversation and it gave me some insight. Tina has monthly budget, life goals, professional goals, and short term plans as well as long term plans. Her writing is no different. She plans to publish her memoir in the spring and getting the publicity of winning a few contests will help increase her name recognition when her memoir is available. AnneMarie writes because she loves it and her ultimate goal is to get traditionally published. If she has long and short term writing goals she doesn’t share them and she is very private. I, on the other hand, am an open book. I have long and short term goals for just about every area of my life, and just having blog traffic is enough to make me feel heard as a writer. Each of us has a different “why I write” story, and I bet there are as many stories as there are writers. That is definitely a lesson for me … again, not everyone is just like me (whew)!
Now onto the WHEN of writing; are you a:
• Late-night-writer?
• Early-morning-writer?
• Only-when-all-the-other-work-is-done-writer?
• Right-before-my-deadline-writer?
• Especially-when-I’m stressed-writer?
I find this answer changes with life events. Honestly, right now I’m not writing anything longer than a blog post or short story. I’m pregnant and feel like I have a hard time concentrating for long periods of time. My writing right now on long pieces feels choppy and bounces around too much. That’s not to say that I’ve always been that way; just right now I prefer shorter pieces and I like to write first thing in the morning but then again I like to journal late at night. What works for you? When is your WHEN?
Now onto what may possibly be the most discussed W … WHAT medium do you use to write? Of course this depends at which phase in a process you may be but I guess the question is: What do you write with when you begin something new? Do you sit down with a keyboard because you like to edit as you go? Do you use an old type-writer, because you love the nostalgic feel of the keys and the rhythmic sound? Do you grab your laptop and open a new word document? Do you have a leather covered note-book and a favorite pen? What brings out your creativity?
I like to use a fine point pen and a favorite old notebook. The look of the letters on the page can be as romantic and musical as the story being told (this is especially true when I write poetry). Typing can be faster, but I find myself too easily distracted by social media and emails. Even if I turn off my wireless connection I still don’t get the same satisfaction … for some reason, writing out the words: the car was hit from behind, and I felt myself plummeting down the embankment toward certain death has a completely different feel when I can press a little harder or softer, underline as needed, etc., and as much as I enjoy banging on my keyboard, it hasn’t doesn’t come across with the same conviction and passion as those hand written pages
Please share your W’s in the comments below. That is one of the great things about being an avid WOW! reader and writer, it brings us together regardless of our physical location and allows us to celebrate our writerhood and our sisterhood. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Crystal J. Casavant-Otto is a church musician, business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Reedsville, Wisconsin with her husband, two young children (Carmen 6 and Andre 5), three dogs,two rabbits, four little piggies, and over 200 Holsteins. Crystal and her husband, Mark are expecting another son at the end of September.
