Saturday 8 December 2012

Learning and Re-learning how to write

The soon to be bionic woman....
There is something you will never hear a writer say and that is 'I know how to write.' Writing is an ongoing learning process which never stops. I find it really ironic that when you finish one book and you start on another you find yourself thinking, how did I do that? Where do I start and your life is full of panic as you sit and face another blank page or screen.

Gaylene Perry in her essay 'History Documents, Arts Reveals: Creative Writing as Research,' states 'I wrote as I learned and I learned as I wrote.' So true and it never stops. I heard of a student who at a workshopping session for their creative pieces handed their complete piece, including assignment cover sheet stapled to it, to the tutor for some feedback. The said tutor was slightly taken aback as this was the first of three workshopping sessions, aimed at allowing the students to polish their assignment. They asked the student why and the student responded, 'Well, I've finished it.' No one, other than the student, had looked at it and needless to say once it was workshopped and the tutor had looked through it, it was not finished. There was writing all over it, highlighting things that needed to be changed. I must admit it is a hard, but important, thing to learn that your first draft is never (or very rarely) your finished draft. My own pieces of work often go through a multitude of redrafting, which is rarely in the single figures and often heads towards three figures.

A friend, who is an accomplished writer, has recently taken part in a course and found it so useful as they re-learnt things they already knew but had forgotten. It appeared to me that they felt, with the input of the course leaders, revitalised about their writing. They found it to be a very positive experience. For me this highlighted how when writing you never stop learning, confirming Perry's quote above. You learn as you write, as you read, as you research, as you share your work. It all shapes you into the writer you are. I am lucky even working with students helps me to improve my writing as I listen to them and their ideas and how they improve their work. It can be really inspirational.  Never be ashamed of looking to learn more. It will never be wasted. Neither assume you have learnt it all because I can assure you, you haven't. There is always something out there that can help bring your writing to life even more.

Right, I am off to be made into a bionic woman, you will soon see me jumping from roof to roof with my new body that they have rebuilt for me.

In the meantime, here's a bit of one of my favourite men




8 comments:

  1. This is so true! Any time you think you know how to write, you can rest assured you don't - or rather, that you still have plenty more to learn!
    Good luck, bionic woman, hope it all goes smoothly! x

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  2. Great! There's always a few people out there who think they know it all. I know a bit but have to keep learning and relearning. It's kinda fun too. Good luck with body replacement. Just don't come back as a pod person. ;)

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    1. You are right it is kinda fun too. Thank you for the good wishes

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  3. It's true - there is always more to learn. I'm reading the excellent "The Plot Thickens" by Noah Lukeman (as recommended in Sara Grant's workshop) and have already learned so much from it. And the very act of writing is a learning curve too.

    Good luck with the bionics. I shall look out of my window in case you're leaping past. xx

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    1. Ooh that's a new one - must find that. Thank you Sue and I will wave as I leap by xxx

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  4. Every new novel is another book you have to learn to write. So true! All good wishes on your bionic reboot.

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