In this blog post, I was assigned to read three texts and to analyze and set a scene where I combine quotes from authors that discuss their writing processes. Here are the links to each texts: The scene begins in the rural and scenic yet slightly suburban town of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. I’ve come here for a family trip and I’ve noticed the air is more clear and the sights are somehow more devine, even though it’s only farms and fields you can see in any dead zone of even the busiest states, something makes it different from the East Coast vibe, more rich. Anyways, since I have a lot of free time to reflect, I’ve been studying different ways in which you can improve your writing process. How convenient was it that I ran into three of the most influential writers in the game- Don Murray, Maria Popova, and Anne Lamott, at a Hardee’s, the sleaziest, greasiest, yet most beautifully desiring fast food chain in the midwest. The interior reminds you of McDonald’s but the food was that of Ruth’s Chris quality food. Just ten minutes from where I was staying, it was amazing that the day I decided to roll out of my cozy, grandma quilted bed and fulfill my menstrual cravings at Hardee’s that not one, but all three of them were there with each other. The best thing about it is- they were all stoned out of their minds standing in line. I wouldn’t help but spark up conversation with them. Their wisdom in their state right now would be unmatched for my writing research.
“Wow, I can’t believe it’s you guys, I’m a big fan” I say out loud in their direction. They divert their attention from the cashier to me and all smile except Anne, who gives my outfit of sweatpants, a tank top, and flip flops, a questioning look. I immediately explain to them the research I’m studying knowing they can give me some valuable input. Don suggests we have a seat and chat while they wait for their munchies to be ready. He apologizes in advance for any unclarity in what they’re about to tell me, obviously due to their fried state. To begin, I ask if they were to break the process down into simpler terms, how would they do so? Don confidently starts off with, “The writing process itself can be divided into three stages: prewriting, writing, and rewriting.” [1] He gestures numbers one, two, and three with his fingers then goes to take a sip of his drink. He tells me prewriting and writing are the obvious but he emphasizes the importance of rewriting. “Rewriting is reconsideration of subject, form, and audience. It is researching, rethinking, redesigning, rewriting, and finally line-by-line editing, the demanding, satisfying process of making each word right.” [2] Maria nods her head in agreement and begins to pull out a notepad of her bag. She begins to tell me about how she loves to read old journals from writers and take down their daily routines to utilize some of the techniques for her own daily writing routine. She shows me a quote from Simone De Beauvoir to add to Don’s statement that reads, “If the work is going well, I spend a quarter to a half an hour reading what I wrote the day before, and I make a few corrections. Then I continue from there. In order to pick up the thread I have to read what I’ve done.” [3] What I’m picking up so far from the hungry writers in front of me is that revising as you go is crucial to the process of successfully writing. “I’ll give you another quote along with that one” Anne chimes in as she spews one from memory- one she says she admires and always takes into consideration for her own writing. She begins, “E.L. Doctrow once said that “writing is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”” [4] I write that one down for myself on a ketchup stained napkin left behind with a pencil that was behind my ear. I’ll probably use that one to tell my professor to sound philosophical as hell. Their order is called and Don gets up to retrieve the food as Anne continues to give me more insight. She tells me her own famous concept. “The first useful concept is the idea of short assignments. Often when you sit down to write, what you have in mind is an autobiographical novel about our childhood… this is like trying to scale a glacier,” [5] she says. What I grasped from that is that it’s important to take your time and start small rather than thinking big from the jump. I add, “What if I find myself going too slow? And I begin to feel unmotivated?” Maria’s eyes light up at both the incoming basket of fries Don brings and my question. She shows me another quote, this time by Susan Sontag. It reads, “I like the slowness of writing by hand. Then I type it up and scrawl all over that. And keep on retyping it each time making corrections both by hand and directly on the typewriter.” [6] “It’s okay to go slow and to embrace going slow,” Maria follows up with. “Find types of writing you like. That also helps you feel more motivated.” She adds as she goes on telling me using pencils or glittery different colored pens can even help your writing process rather than typing or even combine it with typing like the quote- or something like that, but I zone out at the sight of the burgers around me now. With a mouth full of food, Don offers me some curly fries and I politely decline and ask another question. “How do you go about time management when you’re writing?” I say. “There must be time for the writing process to take place and time for it to end. The writer has to work within the stimulating tension of unpressured time to think and dream and stare out of windows,” [7] he claims as he wipes the grease from the corners of his lips. Maria raises a finger and slides her notepad to me once again as she continues chewing. She points to a quote from Joan Didion. “When I’m really working I don’t like to go out or have anybody to dinner, because then I lose the hour. If I don’t have the hour, I just have bad pages and nowhere to go.” [8] Maria gives a look of accomplishment that her journal findings have been great use in the conversation. She then explains that dedication is important to your time management, even if it means canceling plans in order to finish what you’re working on. “It’s best to get it out of your head while it’s there,” she says. Anne puts down her almost demolished double cheeseburger to give one last piece of advice as the writers begin to notice my discontentment that I haven’t ordered myself yet. As I was telling Maria earlier how my period cravings were eating at me very badly today. Anne begins, “Even better news than that of short assignments is shitty first drafts. All writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts,” [9] to add on to what she had mentioned earlier. I find this information comforting as my own writing journals were a disarray of bad drafts. I thought it was only me. I wrap it up with the writers as they begin to compile their ragged trays and leftover wrappers with unwanted extra onions cascading from them. “Thank you so much for your time. I didn’t mean to interrupt your sacred feeding time,” I say. They all collectively give me jumbled answers along the lines of no worries and anything for a beginning writer like myself. This was the pinnacle of my writing career being able to speak to them. I now have the writing process down to a science and my professor will love to hear this story. I can’t believe a couple of stoned writers gave me valuable information in a matter of 15 minutes that would take me weeks to stir up. Time to order my food and go visit a farm or something. My reflecting is done.
2 Comments
Sabatino
9/11/2018 08:59:05 am
This story illustrates a writer who put thought and effort into the work. I did not see this coming:
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AuthorHi! I'm Taylor Kriebel, a current student at Delaware County Community College. You're currently reading my blog assignments from my English Composition I class. Enjoy! Archives
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