What I Have in Common With Margaret Atwood (And What I Don't)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXEXX8bkLDI
Today I was tasked with comparing my writing process with that of a famous author. I chose Margaret Atwood because I want to write my political passions into creative stories like she does.
Atwood advises writers to keep a pen (or pencil) and paper with them at all times. She explains that this is necessary to avoid forgetting good ideas that may be useful in the future. I agree with her sentiment, but writing myself an email with the word, phrase, moment, or idea works well enough for me.
Atwood and I both rewrite as we go along. For Atwood, this looks like switching off between handwriting and typing. Atwood handwrites her drafts because it helps her flow with her stream of thought. In contrast, when I try to handwrite my drafts, I tend to tire quickly and am unable to keep up with my thoughts. Typing my drafts helps me to keep up and write for longer periods of time. If I am writing creative short stories, I will spend each section of time that I work on a specific moment, ensuring that I explain each moment exactly correctly. Lastly, I work on tying the moments together with transitions. Writing creatively this way helps me gain momentum because I have a polished part to look back on and feel proud of every time I sit down to write. If I don’t give myself enough time to fully rewrite, I won’t get the words exactly right, and I will have failed in helping my readers connect with my characters (and, by extension, me) as deeply as possible. Like Atwood's, much of my rewriting happens along the way rather than at the end.
It is encouraging to see parallels between my process and that of a famous and favorite author. I hope to continue learning from accomplished leaders as I keep writing.
Today I was tasked with comparing my writing process with that of a famous author. I chose Margaret Atwood because I want to write my political passions into creative stories like she does.
Atwood advises writers to keep a pen (or pencil) and paper with them at all times. She explains that this is necessary to avoid forgetting good ideas that may be useful in the future. I agree with her sentiment, but writing myself an email with the word, phrase, moment, or idea works well enough for me.
Atwood and I both rewrite as we go along. For Atwood, this looks like switching off between handwriting and typing. Atwood handwrites her drafts because it helps her flow with her stream of thought. In contrast, when I try to handwrite my drafts, I tend to tire quickly and am unable to keep up with my thoughts. Typing my drafts helps me to keep up and write for longer periods of time. If I am writing creative short stories, I will spend each section of time that I work on a specific moment, ensuring that I explain each moment exactly correctly. Lastly, I work on tying the moments together with transitions. Writing creatively this way helps me gain momentum because I have a polished part to look back on and feel proud of every time I sit down to write. If I don’t give myself enough time to fully rewrite, I won’t get the words exactly right, and I will have failed in helping my readers connect with my characters (and, by extension, me) as deeply as possible. Like Atwood's, much of my rewriting happens along the way rather than at the end.
It is encouraging to see parallels between my process and that of a famous and favorite author. I hope to continue learning from accomplished leaders as I keep writing.
Comments
Post a Comment