Learning to Write

"Write, write, write," said Twain, advice on how to learn the craft. One wonders what matters in this thing, how readers are captured, or not. Is writing for the writer most of all? Perhaps.

Bacon, I think it was, said writing makes an exact man. Often when I hear a public commentator who seems especially articulate in a given subject I learn she gained that facility through writing a book. Immerse yourself in material for the length of a book and you will speak it well.

What of stream of consciousness, the sort of speaking on page thought after thought? Is there a place for this? Teachers call it free writing and it helps a writer get it down so he has something to work with. One of my better-ever pieces was more or less free writing, edited after the fact of course.

One can enjoy success with pieces written in a flash of insight. Similar to what another teacher taught: take that central insight, jot down several related ideas and segues, and put the thing together.

Learning to write means finding your voice and your most natural structure. Inspiration -- whatever that is -- helps, but as in all of life I am learning that 1) if you wait for inspiration your output will never be what it could be, and 2) working without inspiration leads to surprising quantity and the inspiration often comes in the plowing through.

I'm still learning this thing. Writing with little "want-to" is hard but I am slowly gaining that basic discipline. Toiling with an idea until I can say it well is no easy task for this impatient man. But I love the journey and someday I will write a book, if God is willing and I live long enough.

"God willing." 

I am learning to love that happy prayer in writing and in all of life. He does all things well.