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***** As a customer of Innovative Communication Solutions, you get a free subscription to the bimonthly e-mail newsletter, Ask the Editor. Each issue tackles a common problem all writers--from business professionals to professional writers--often face. You can also get expert opinion on any writing problem. Just "Ask the Editor." ***** ASK THE EDITOR Vol. 1, Issue 6 November/December 2000 http://kevinorf.tripod.com ----- IN THIS ISSUE: FINDING INSPIRATION - CALLING ALL MUSES - FINDING INSPIRATION - HEURISTICS ----- NOTE FROM THE EDITOR "Oh for a muse of fire that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention." Shakespeare
A college freshman once said that the great thing about Shakespeare is his writing is filled with so many famous quotes. This quote is one of my favorites, and it relates to this issue’s topic: finding inspiration. What we all wouldn't do for such a muse. How do we become inspired? How do we find that muse? Of course, if any of us could bottle and sell the answer. . . This issue offers some practical tips to get the creative juices flowing.
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Sincerely, "The Editor" ----- CALLING ALL MUSES The author of Harvey was once asked how she came up with the idea, to which she replied, "I looked up from the breakfast table one morning, and there he was." Most of us, however, can't simply wait for a Muse of Fire, or Harvey in this case, to magically appear. We need to write this proposal or that report right now. And the simple fact of the matter is that often times we are writing about subjects that may not inspire us as much as, say, writing to the local newspaper editor demanding an explanation about why the Republic of Chad is getting so much coverage lately. Inspiration really isn't something that can be conjured up on a moment's notice.
The issue is really how to become inspired when the muse has apparently decided to go on vacation. --- GETTING INSPIRED Here are some strategies you can use to get your creative juices flowing. If one doesn't work, try another. Some of the suggestions may even appear contradictory because different techniques work better at different times.
-Practice, Practice, Practice We all know this is how the violin player gets to Carnegie Hall. It's also the best way to prepare yourself to tackle any subject, even one that doesn't exactly get the blood pumping. Writing is really more about working with and shaping words--much as a potter molds clay--than about simply having something to say. The more time you spend working with words, the more you understand that writing is a craft. The more you practice, the better prepared you are for any situation. So if you can, start writing habitually.
- Be There But Not in the Way A Zen-master friend gave me this excellent advice, which applies to anything in life, really. Think of an instance when you've performed poorly--for example, playing a poor round of golf--simply because you tried too hard. When writing, be in the moment, but stay the heck out of the way! Just let the writing happen. Or as a famous cellist once put it, "Learn the notes, then forget about 'em."
- Goof Off Have a report due in an hour and can't seem to find a single thing to say? What better solution than to practice putting, shoot free throws at your waste basket, go for a walk or read the comics--really! Writing is a mysterious process, and sometimes the words come easier when you give your mind a break and just let it wander. Taking time to sleep on a writing project is sound advice, when you have the time. When you don't, just try doing something else and let the words come to you.
- Brainstorm Most of us have been involved in process improvement teams and know the value of brainstorming. It's the perfect first step in any writing project because it allows us to get our ideas down without turning on the internal censor. The next time you need to write something, take five minutes and write down everything that comes to mind. Once you have ideas on the page, go back and determine which ones you want to use and see if any patterns emerge that give you ideas on how to structure your draft.
- Freewrite Another great way to get the creative juices flowing is freewriting. Often times, our fear of something not sounding right or making a mistake prevents us from writing. Or we simply may not know where to start. The solution is to just write anything that comes to mind without thinking about how it sounds or punctuation. This often gives you the raw material for a draft that you can go back and refine.
- Just Write Or as the sneaker ad implores, "Just Do It." This is similar to freewriting, but you are more consciously trying to compose, rather than write from pure stream of consciousness. This is especially useful when you are uninspired about a topic or don't feel like you have anything to say, but are faced with deadlines. If possible, walk away from it and edit what you did at a later time. Often, you'll surprise yourself at how well it came out.
- Throw Your Usual Process Out the Window My typical process for writing an article is to write a short outline, read through my sources and interview transcriptions, highlight which information should go in what section, and then write the article sequentially from beginning to end. But for whatever reason, this doesn't always work, in which case I'll try something new. Sometimes I work through each resource one at a time, plugging pertinent information under the heading where it best fits, while writing transitions and rearranging on the fly. Or maybe I'll read all the resources and try to write as much as I can from memory. Often, just trying something different will provide the spark to keep writing.
- Write When You Normally Don't Try writing at times you normally don't write, while laying in bed, driving your car, or in the shower. Mind you, you're not physically writing (other drivers will thank you for that), but you're composing in your head, and at the first opportunity you should jot as much down as you can remember when you get out of bed or the shower or at the first stop light. It's amazing what you can do when your mind is freely wandering and isn't encumbered by too many thoughts or the act of putting words to the page.
- Experience Self-Doubt and Fear of Failure Did you know that Winston Churchill, when he wasn't writing volume upon volume of history or painting landscapes, held almost every cabinet position in British Parliament (including, of course, prime minister)? And you know what? For all his achievements, he went through excruciating periods of self doubt. So think about Churchill the next time you experience fear or doubt as you begin to write something. Every writer--perhaps the better writers even more so--have experienced self-doubt and fear of failure. Why? Because writing is hard. So, accept this as part of the human condition and get on with it. And get back to your keyboard and keep writing!
- You Are the Only One You Need Norman Mailer once said that he had the most trouble writing when he thought he had to write like Norman Mailer, that is, the public's expectation of him. Trust yourself. Trust that you know what needs to be said and how to say it. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his essay, Self-Reliance, that we should "learn to detect that gleam of light which flashes across [our minds] from within." Sound advice indeed! ----- HEURISTICS No, it's not a new book by L. Ron Hubbard. "Heuristics" is a fancy term for a simple concept: asking key questions about your writing problem. Answering key questions helps you explore what you know about a topic and identify what your reader needs to know. Here are some key questions you can answer to get started on virtually any writing project:
What is the problem? Why is the problem a problem? Who is affected by the problem? What actions can be taken to solve the problem? What is my reader's background (age, social status, education level)? Why would my reader care? What does my reader need to know? What would antagonize my reader? What would persuade my reader? What can my reader do? ----- QUOTES "You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write." Saul Bellow "The devil himself always seems to get into my inkstand, and I can only exorcise him by pensful at a time." Nathaniel Hawthorne "When they come, I write them; when they don't come, I don't." Jack Kerouac "A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." Thomas Mann ------ QUESTIONS FOR READERS What inspires you to write? ----- PREVIOUS READER REPLIES In response to "Breaking the Rules" issue: Very interesting discussion on language rules, etc. The point about the language being dynamic, not static, is well made and well taken. And while I agree that rigid conformity with questionable rules can hinder rather than enhance clarity (i.e., communication), it seems to me the larger danger today is the notion that rules scarcely matter at all. This sometimes seems to get translated as: don't let silly rules get in the way of your creativity. That seems to me to be part of a general relaxation of standards in virtually all arenas. In the case of the language, it has resulted in growing numbers of younger would-be writers who simply don't possess even a rudimentary understanding, or appreciation, of the importance of "rules" to clear, intelligible communication, and whose writing suffers for it. But again, very interesting discussion. Hope to see more of it. (I'm not above using fragments myself.) Jack Merry
Dear Editor: Thank you for letting me voice my pet peeves. There are a couple things that really make my skin crawl. First, I can't stand the phrase "at this point in time." Talk about redundant! And have you accepted "impact" as a verb? I sure haven't. As Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary says, "The use of impact [as a verb meaning to have an effect on] is unacceptable to many because of its association with bureaucratic language or technical jargon." I agree.
Another thing that really bugs me is corporate-speak. Here is an honest-to-goodness phrase from a colleague's e-mail: "As part of the discussion, we dialogued about the possibility of utilizing the enclosed form to ensure that we receive all the info needed for the product creation." The word "dialogue" can be a verb, sure, but--yuck! Her sentence would be much clearer like this: "We talked about using the enclosed form to ensure that we have all the necessary info." That's almost half as short!
Thanks for listening. I just subscribed today and am looking forward to the next issue.
Sincerely, Mary Frances Wilkens Legal Editor
Contrary to a reader's response in your previous issue, one of my pet peeves is when people unfailingly use "that" to introduce an objective phrase. "He said he was going to the store" is a better plain-English sentence than "He said that he was going to the store." Our language has enough "that's" in it without using them where they aren't needed.
David Curry
Good newsletter! My pet peeve in writing (which surely will lead to the demise of Western Civilization) is the use of "everyday," which is an adjective, where "every day" should be used. Wrong: "We have special prices everyday." Correct: "Our everyday prices are the same as the competition's sale prices."
Gina Steiner ----- ASK THE EDITOR QUESTION I enjoy your newsletter very much and share it with others here.
Question for you: If you are writing a new edition of a book and you use material that appeared in the previous edition, and that material was drawn from references "A", "B" and "C", do you cite the previous edition plus A, B, and C in the references for the new edition? Or, do you simply reference the appropriate pages from the previous edition? Your advice would be appreciated.
Tom Werlinich
Here's what to do. Use the reference from the original source, without making reference to the pages in the previous edition. A new edition already implies that you are going to use material from the old edition plus new material. You may want to include an introduction to the new edition in the front matter that describes what exactly is new about the new edition.
"The Editor" ----- Stumped by a style issue or perplexed by a punctuation problem? In each issue, I answer a question submitted by a reader. Send your question today! **** Copyright 2000 Kevin Orfield
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