Get Out Of The Way Of Your Writing
By: Sandra Ferguson
I’ve been writing since . . . well, since the growls of dinosaurs echoed. I’d like to believe my learning curve has been right on schedule, that I haven’t wasted effort. But that’s a belief and nothing more. Truth is: this writing business takes time and a fanny firmly planted in the writing chair. That said, I was surprised recently to discover I still hadn’t fully learned the concept of getting out of the way of my own writing.
I needed to write a recommendation letter for a Teacher of the Year nomination. One page, single spaced, one inch margins were the requirements. Wow! In writing first chapters, it normally takes me six pages just to get to the characters’ name. Okay, not quite that bad, but brevity has never been one of my strong points. Could I make this teacher shine and meet the requirements?
I wrote the first several drafts as quickly as possible, trying to gather my memories and capture them on page. Then I went to the organization stage of sharing only the most specific characteristics that emphasized this teacher’s qualifications for the award. Finally, I gleaned my words in an attempt to place the exact verb, use the perfect sentence structure and HIT my word count. Oops! I was too long, too wordy! Time to cut again. It was during this stage that the truth of my error became clear. While the words were sharp, the language clear, the grammar acceptable, I was more focused on how great my writing was than how wonderful this teacher was. It was time to learn how to get out of the way of my writing.
Focus is the key to writing for your reader. Classic literature may provide angst-filled characters in life-altering situations, but great story-telling focuses, first and foremost, on how the reader will receive your written word. According to Peter Bowerman‘s article, WRITE BETTER, EARN MORE!, “While many things make up a classic . . .. Yet, to my mind, one of the most important is the ability to use ordinary, unadorned words and phrases — the building blocks of everyday speech from everyday people — to create extraordinary stories.”
So how do you get out of the way of your writing? Focus on the reading, not the writing. When you find you are piling in the adverbs, adjectives, stringing it out forever, then STOP! Long elaborate phrases, extra words, writing above your readership might prove you’re well-learned, but if your reader is lost, who cares? Great story-telling is not about showing your intelligence, but expanding a world for your reader.
A few plain and simple ways to determine the effectiveness of your writing can be: start by reading aloud your finished passages. Does it sound clumsy? Long-winded? Are you desperate for breath by the time you reach sentence end? Then it’s time to cut.
Second, integrate yourself into a critique group. Outside eyes can quickly find the flaws in your writing. School your critique group in your own weaknesses, such as, lazy language, added tags, or too much setting.
Third, initiate the use of an outside reader. Some one you trust to not fall in love with every cliché you slap to paper. They don’t need to hammer grammar, or cull your characterization. Those jobs are for your critique group. An outside reader should look for overall flow and comprehension of the piece. If ‘huh?’ seems to be the reader’s general comment, then you aren’t focused on the reader during your writing process.
Next, give the article, the scene, the chapter some breathing room. Leave it alone, then come back to it. Even a few days separated from the writing can provide clarity.
Finally, give yourself a word limit for the scene or chapter, then stick to it. Write all you want, but turn into the toughest editor alive when you’re cutting for word count. Stay true to the word count and much of your extraneous language can be eliminated.
I don’t know if my recommendation letter will assist my teaching friend in achieving a Disney Teacher of the Year award. I do know that my writing focused on the subject, a great teacher, and read well. What more could any writer need to find success?
