The Way of the Pen

“You don’t actually have to write anything until you’ve thought it out. This is an enormous relief, and you can sit there searching for the point at which the story becomes a toboggan and starts to slide.”

—Marie de Nervaud, WD

True. The image people have about writers are them at their desk typing away or pen to paper every day. It’s simply not always the case. Especially if you are a creative writer.

Technical or academic writers can be mostly seen writing more often than not. For creative writers we need time to our thoughts, to map out, exploring ideas that branch off into sub ideas, world building, character building, plot building, research, etc. Most of that happens in our minds first. While these cool things are happening in our heads and after we finally write some or all it, most times, we scratch that out and completely start over or have to take a different direction after we actually read it. For the most part, for me at least, that’s where writers block settles in and what normally follow is doubt in our ability to write. That phase can last anywhere from weeks to years for some.

When people ask a writer “are you done with your book yet?” It brings about anxiety or stress (depending on the maturity level of the writer), because of the expectations of others pressed upon the writer. For others, it can just be annoying when asked because that shows they have no idea what it’s like. For writers, they can’t live up to “outsiders” expectations because being a writer isnt that simple. It’s a PROCESS.

As for myself, I am both a creative and technical writer and because of that my level of frustration comes when I hit a creative writers block or have not progressed to a place in the timeframe I think is appropriate. Why? Well, its due to the technical side of my abilities that allows me to write like a rushing river—it’s easy for me. Creative writing comes easy as well because it’s in me to write and to see beyond the boundaries, but it’s not always a rushing river. That is what can be frustrating. When in fact, like most, the defect is my level of patience and how I endure at the slower pace of it all. I sometimes do not cut myself any slack; even though I know creative writing is a challenge. A challenge championed by those willing and able to go that distance no matter how hard.

For writers it’s that constant back and forth with confidence, with editing and revising, until we finally publish. So yes the quote, “A writer is working when looking out the window”, is relatable. 90% of writing isn’t even the writing bit, it happens in the mind for quite some time. The imagination portion and the battle within self (self encouragement and the drive to push). That 90% is made up in silence, in times of solitude, reading, away in a cabin during the winter—overlooking the snow covered Evergreen trees, breathing in the crisp fall air as they step out onto their porch coffee in hand or simply looking out the window. Then when it’s time to put pen to paper, they can finally release.

To all my fellow writers out there, I understand you, I am where you may be, and hopefully this piece I wrote has helped in some way. To that someone who knows a writer and never quite understood them and their process, I hope this helped shed some light.

Until next time…