Thoughts on Writing

The funny thing about writing is that so much of it, at least for me, takes place away from my laptop or paper and pencil. I spend a lot of time just thinking about what could happen in a story, taking in details of the world around me, storing them to use when I finally do get time to sit down and write. Writing is noticing the way someone tilts his head when he thinks, or gnaws on his fingernails when he's nervous. It's the dried-out crust of a grilled cheese sandwich sitting on the plate or the way a dog sighs as he shifts position on the floor and goes back to sleep.  One of the best "prewriting" times for me is when I'm walking our dog. There's not much else I can do besides think as Smokey sniffs almost every clump of grass he comes to. We live in the country, by a lake, and with little traffic along the road, I make a point of noticing the things around me. In my head, I try putting into words what the tree toads sound like or I create similes for the way the wind sounds or the rain as it hits my hood or umbrella. Sometimes I work on haiku poems! If I'm in the middle of a novel, I consider the different options for how to proceed with it, how I'll make a particular character act or react to what's happening. I've worked out plot changes and even killed off a character who, although I liked her, wasn't adding anything to the story - all while walking my dog!

Sometimes I wonder if I'm really "the real deal," a genuine author, because as much as I love writing, I don't sit down and write every day the way many authors do. I prewrite constantly, and let ideas percolate for months sometimes, until I have hours to sit on my bed with my laptop and really write. Occasionally, I'll lie in bed at night, unable to sleep, and start thinking about a story. I might even turn on the bedside lamp and write down a page or two of ideas. (I know that, no matter how good the idea may seem at the time, chances are I won't remember it in the morning!) The thing is, I know that when my summer vacation finally arrives, Ill be more than ready to write in earnest. That's when I get to spend hours every day with my fingers on the keyboard, my eyes on the words that seem to miraculously appear on the screen. When I reread what I've written - and I do that constantly - tweaking, revising, editing - I wonder sometimes where the words came from! That is perhaps the most exciting part of the process!

GOOD BOOKS ON WRITING:

I love the way Gail Carson Levine talks about writing in her book, Writing Magic. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to become a better writer. I read chapters from it to my students, and use her "Writing Time" assignments.

I also find all of Ralph Fletcher's short books on writing to be exceptionally reader-friendly. He writes as if he's just talking to you - simple, clear words with good examples.