My writing process isn't something one should emulate. While at times effective, it's fueled by pervasive fear of failure and heavy doses of insecurity. "This sucks, why bother? Get a job..." tends to be the internal rumbling while I type away. As far as the process, it's a disorganized, variable thing. I pre-write (when I'm doing creative stuff) on a dry erase board next to my desk, and periodically in a notebook I carry around, although really, the latter occurs because I think carrying around a nifty little notebook and scrawling in it is a very writerly thing to do. Sometimes beer helps, sometimes it doesn't...I don't know. I believe much more strongly in environment control than process.
You need to be comfortable where you are to write effectively. Find out what's most conducive to focusing on what you're doing as far as location, noise level, etc. I need pretty much total silence to write; if there's a TV or a radio on, I can't do it. I also like to sit back in a soft chair and wear only boxers when possible. Tragically, this limits the amount of writing I can do in libraries in coffee shops.
I don't think process is something you need to TEACH to students, but it's definitely something they should be encouraged to find on their own. Writing can be such a lonely, boring thing if you're not into what you're writing about. If you have a process that makes the ordeal more efficient, things become more bearable. If you wanted to work process exercises into class, I suppose you could do something similar to the voice exercises we discussed about. Hand the kids a sheet of paper, say "Go anywhere you want, do anything you want, and give me a paragraph on topic X by the end of the hour," and watch them go to work. It won't be instantaneous, but it might help students find what works.
If you do find a process, stick to it. I feel like this blog is a little disjointed, and I think it's because I wrote it with the TV on in the background.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Everyone has their own process. Half the time, I have to haul myself to the library, otherwise the internet, and ever-growing DVD collection accumulating on my living room floor, will distract me. Sometimes, I have to curl up in bed with my laptop, with a mound of books/notebooks and completely unrelated things on either side of me. A new tactic I've recently employed involves my Nintendo DS, although it is probably slowing down my productivity.
I agree that I don't think that process is something that we can teach students. We each have our own quirks, and, while a student might find, oh, prewriting useful, they're probably going to get frustrated if I insist that they need to beat Level 1-1 in Super Mario, then write a few pages, and move on to Level 1-2. (I've already beaten the entire game, the goal is now to acquire all of the star coins! Again, unproductive...)
While I doubt any of us would suggest anything so ridiculous to students, trying to put them into our writing process is... not good. We can direct them into developing their own writing process, but much like voice, this is something they have to do on their own.
I too used to carry around a little black notebook, a moleskin, because I thought it was writerly. I find beer ALWAYS helps! :) I agree with your thoughts on how to teach students process.
Your post is hilarious. We all have this quirky little things we do to get the juices flowing.
Often, I think this process is so natural to us as English people that we forget other students don't even think about turning on the music while they're writing or turning it off or taking off their pants, whichever. They just don't think about process in regards to writing. It is important for us to emphasize this, and in a different setting (like one where I actually had some freedom) I would love to follow your suggestion of letting the students roam around for an hour and producing some piece of writing. Some might say, "Oh, they won't come back." Well, if they don't, they aren't writers.
I also liked your idea about brainstorming on a white board. I'm wondering if there is something to a medium that seems temporary. Maybe it frees you up to express more ideas. Sometimes I wish I could get the students to understand, the process is their own. I don't like this rigid structure of outlining, prewriting, writing, revising.... We do this to a certain extent, but many established writers never prewrite, maybe they just scrawl on a dry erase board! I think if students could see the freedom of the process, they might be more inclined to take part in it.
I have to say I laughed out loud, several times, while reading your post. I agree that there is no way to teach an effective writing process, because it so individual.
You obviously have a good thing going, keep it up.
James,
I agree we all have our own process and that this can be quite difficult to teach. Like you, I prefer to have quiet when I'm writing, especially for a formal assignment. However, so many students, especially those in the dorms, have to struggle with finding those quiet places. Even more, I wonder with all the noise constantly surrounding us, music, traffic, cell phones, conversation, etc, how anyone can find that stillness. I wonder also if the the quiet process of writing is no longer a quiet process. I wonder if we too should adapt to accomodate the noise.
First, I love the image of you in the library with just your boxers....!!
How DO we help students find their own process? You have obviously valued "writerly" things...how do we help students who DON'T value these things to find a process that works for them?
Let me put it this way: suppose you're in an engineering class, and you need to build a bridge for a final project (that's pretty alien to me; I'm assuming it is to you, too). Could you find your own process there w/o help? What kind of help would you be looking for? What would help you most?
I think sometimes we DO need to step back and figure out NOT how we would do something we're comfortable with, but how, in a very uncomfortable situation, we'd like to be helped.
Post a Comment