I was tagged by Tami of What Tami Said for The Three Pieces of Writing Advice tag/ meme. And even though I am not a professional writer I'll give it a try.Be passionate!
My first rule is to write about things that interest me. If I'm not interested in something I'm writing about it shows. Being passionate about the subject is the most important thing.
Don't edit yourself!
On my first draft I allow myself to go nuts. I write whatever is in my head on the subject. I don't worry about length or grammar. I just let it flow. This to me is an important step in the writing process. It's during this stage that I get the truest expression. This is the stage that allows me to understand the point of my post.
When I say understand I mean that without the edit going in my head I can get a clear picture of my thoughts on a particular subject. I've tried writing with editing in mind at this stage and I never get my point across properly.
Edit yourself!
After I have allowed myself the abandon of writing without worrying about length or grammar then it's time to edit. This is the trickiest part of the process.
One of my favorite things about writing is trying to say what I want to say in as few words as possible. This can be both a blessing and a curse. On many occasions I have over edited which means I haven't made my point the way that I have wanted to.
I routinely start the editing process by deleting paragraph after paragraph. It's not unusual for me to start the editing process with 10 paragraphs and pare a post down to 3 paragraphs. I get a thrill out of saying what I want to say with as few words as possible. This can be problematic though. Often I don't quite hit the mark I was looking for.
Sometimes I edit just a little too deeply. When this happens the comments I get usually reflect that people think I am making a point that I am not actually trying to make. It's actually a good learning experience. I have gotten better at not cutting too much from a post.
But when I get it right and use an economy of words and make the point I want it's a wonderful feeling!
I'm supposed to tag three bloggers and they are;
Undercover Black Man - Because he's an expert on the subject.
Symphony at Essential Presence - I love the passion in her writing.
The Black Actor - Because I love the joy and flow of her writing.
What is your writing process?
13 comments:
Hmm... I like this I'm going to do this. I'm not waiting for myself to get tagged. It will certainly be up in a couple days.
Love your three, MDC!
I don't write much either apart from the blog, but I agree with your three points. Perhaps I would also add, don't try to be too clever. Something straightforward and simple and from the heart is more engaging than something too intellectual and clever-clever you're spent hours writing and re-writing. Nobody's impressed, probably not even the writer!
Hola Mes Deux:
Thank you for that kind accolade. :) It was a nice way to start my a.m. People visit the blog and comment and things. Of course -- and naturally, they comment on the post. On blogs, people typically don't comment about the publisher's writing style, which means you never really know if you're "getting it right." It's nice to know that someone appreciates your writing style. I thank you.
Yes; like you, my method is the same. Write whatever. And edit.
My problem -- I think sometimes I take too long in the process. I write it pretty quickly but take too long in the editing process, I do believe. I hope to be a better writer to the extent that preparing my articles -- from draft to completion -- happens faster. It is something I would like to improve on.
woman i have a vaccine for being tagged, let me know if u want it, and me no edits, unless books, and i pay folk for that
It depends on how much writing I'm doing. I just type my posts and publish. I'm working on a book and I've done an outline for chapters but then I just sit down and write. I also use the writers drug of choice, caffeine. I do my best work on espresso at 3 or 4 in the morning.
I really like your writing tips! For blogging, being passionate about what I'm writing is the most important. Steps two and three I learned for legal writing. If I feel really strongly about something, I might have too much emotion than called for. It's much easier to write with wild abandon and emotion in my first draft instead of trying to write without emotion at all. I edit out the emotion in later drafts.
XJ,
I moved your comment to the "Stuff" post. Just click on that post to see it. :)
MDC, I like tip #2. I have a really hard time just letting myself go and writing whatever the first time around. My editor's brain always interjects, which I think is a bad thing. It zaps some of the passion from the piece.
I write when the mood strikes me. I think you should also try to writee about wht ur passionate about also. I think a writer needs to find his or her own voice and not try to be like everyone else. This goes for topics too. It's great when bloggeres bring different perspectives to topics that have already been covered by other bloggers or choose to cover subjects that other bloggers don't really discuss. Originality to me is key. I wonder if readers enjoy my writing. I can't usually tell because I don't get as much feedback as I'd like.
MDC, I love ur blog because it is different. You pose thoughtful and intriguing questions that make people think. You cover serious topics, but also cover other topics that are funny. It's a great blog.
MDC I am not a writer not by a long shot people can tell that from visiting my blog I have run on sentence and all but I love reading comments and other people posts.
MDC when I first came upon your blog it was a nice and well author blog and it makes you want to jump in. What I really like you will visit other blogs and comment.
caesar,
I look forward to reading it.
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Lisa,
Thanks! :)
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Nick,
I agree cleverness has its place but it can ruin good writing.
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TBA,
As you write more and more you will be able to do it faster. When I started blogging it took me forever to write a post and now it takes forever minus 10 minutes. Lol
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Torrance,
Okay I'm waiting for the vaccine! Lol
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HC,
I don't have a particular time that I write; it's mainly when the feeling hits me.
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Anali,
That's true; emotion can really get in the way of a good post. It's best to keep it in-check.
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Tami,
It just takes practice letting go. The joy of it is really finding out how you feel about something, even if most of it gets edited later.
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Tasha,
I enjoy your writing. You are able to convey emotions without letting them get in the way. I can also feel the passion in your writing.
Thanks for letting me know you like my blog! That really means a lot to me. :)
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JJ B,
First of all I think you are a really good writer. You convey your thoughts in a really clear fashion. I enjoy that.
I love visiting blogs like yours; you always post about interesting things.
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I'm a talker and a thinker who wonders why men say "women think to much"?? AHAHAHAA!! And as for mah skillzzz... I have no writing skills as seen in my Blog. I just let go and see what commences next. I sometimes go back and red my work if comments are left. But you know what, I never change stuff unless it's a typo or gross error in another manner.
I, too, agree that your Blog as well as Ms JJ's keep me checking in because of the many topics you deal with. You tend to go more all over with it giving the chance to be in HERsterics in one read and in deepest mental thought maybe by the next post. Your being very versatile withe subjects is what is intriguing, educating and yet freshing and entertaining as well.
But you already knew that I felt this way, so don't get all blushy on me. ;)
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