The Truth Behind Writing

Noemi Martinez

All writers must mature and experiment to discover their own effective, efficient writing process. However, as writers, we must keep in mind the following points, the writing truths.

Writing Is Usually Hard Work

Sometimes writers and aspiring writers believe that while they are straining over the page, the rest of the world is out there pleasantly writing away with no effort. On the contrary, writing is rarely a piece of cake for anyone. Sure, there are a few who write easily without a worry as to content, focus or audience, but they are the exception. For everyone else, writing is hard work.

Writing Takes Time

Nothing complex or involved can be done quickly, and writing is no exception. Stand back and look at the writing process as a series of steps. Brainstroming, freewriting, idea clustering; all take time and must be fully formed out before the actual writing begins. At each process, take a look back and evaluate the topic being discussed. If you have deviated and the writing is must follow a certain theme or topic, backtrack and start again. If you wait until the last minute to tackle your writing, you will build in frustration and failure. In addition, writing often goes better if you allow yourself enough time to break it down into manageable steps. This way, you can establish intermediate goals and experience success each time one of these goals is completed. In addition, each success can press you forward with a caffinee like kick of confidence that makes for better writing.

Everyone Gets Stuck From time to time

When this happens to you, leave your writing for a time and renew yourself by doing other things. Don't read a book or anything written. This will clear your mind and not muddle your thoughts on your current writer's block. When you return to your work, you may have the answer to your dilemma. If not, try to discover why the problem exists and appraise the worth of the writing assignment.

More Than Anything Else, Writing Means Revision

Writers are unfair to themselves if they expect their first few drafts to be perfect. Unfortunately, first efforts are seldom agreeable. Professional writers are always tinkering with their work or making total redesigns to their drafts as they try to find the results they are after, and if pros must revise, inexperienced writers shouldn't count on getting it right the first time.

So, if you look at an early effort and discover everything is not what it should be, do not despair or conclude that you cannot write. Instead, get in there and revise. Often writing starts as one thing and end up as another. This changes can improve not only the writer but the writing. Even though you may have planned carefully and executed your plan to the best of your ability, you may discover that what you have is not working. When you realize you have major problems and no attempts at revision seem to help enough, then you may have to begin again. When you have a final piece of writing that is much better than the first draft, you will be glad you edited, revised and started over again.
© Noemi Martinez.