Absolutely Write - A Perspective on Methodology

Writing is a time staking operation, and although it should be given its due time and attention where quality is strived for, it is prudent for the writer to make it an efficient process so that there can be more time to write and do other things. The handiwork should be conducted in an adequately lit space with a table or desk and comfortable seat. Distracting items or sounds should be eliminated or at least alleviated. If using an ink pen make sure it contains adequate ink and or keep back up pens handy. If using pencil keep a sharpener near and some back up. If you are someone who can actually conduct pre-writing on a word processor remember to continuously save your draft work in case of power outage. For those who are like me and see best with corrective lenses, clean the glasses so that no distractive particles obstruct vision. Now, we are almost ready to write but there should a little more attention given to comfort or satisfaction. Got milk? I take a bit in my coffee myself. The readied writer should come to the table with a satisfying beverage to sip from while she or he immerses themselves into the writing process. 

Establishing an intended audience is very important to my writing process. Although as a writer in college the professor is the actual reviewer of my writing, any given assignment is in practice of writing with a particular kind of audience in mind. Once a writer realizes who the audience is, she or he can determine whether they will be writing formally or informally, as an authority or a wonderer, in the first, second, or third person, etc. Once it can be established how to write, the writer can now focus on what will be written.

The initial step in pre-writing strategy is consideration of a topic or story, depending upon what kind of writing is being done. This consideration can be part of the specific pre-writing strategy called brainstorming. As one storms she or he thinks about almost everything that they know about what they will be writing about. At this point the writer has begun to write in their mind. Still writing ideas need structure to lend organization of thoughts for actual writing. However, consideration or brainstorming provides but an important foundation and a more tangible product is required in order to create a plan for getting to the finish line, and the last finished line. So, enough purely cerebral efforts let us get to spilling some ink.

Although there are several hands-on pre-writing strategies that writers can use to their benefit, the outline is oft used and an effective blueprint format for writing. The outline is a dynamic tool and can be imagined as a skeleton for which words, sentences, and paragraphs will be used to flesh out a body of written work. The outline will generally never be presented to an audience except for purely academic reasons so feel free to freestyle on paper in a way that may appear as organized confusion. The outline should have a core concept relevant to the topic being written about, and extend to feasible aspects which may be addressed regarding the subject and promise connectivity. My own outlines usually look like family trees. The core topic at the root of things and prospective components branching off to yet more branches. Sometime the tree bears peculiar fruit, but it is the job of the writer to make sure the fruit does not fall too far from the tree. Once I have a pretty good outline going I try to write a synopsis for each of the topic aspects I have developed. These lines will ultimately be the basis for most paragraphs that will aggregate to become the body of written work. Referring to the outline, the first draft will be a practice in expanding on thoughts and organizing thought patterns. From here it is just edit, edit, edit. . .but that is another essay.

 Writing is not only a finished work, but the result of a process, sometime settling for a purpose, yet editing can be a continuous course. For the writer knowing when to stop is sometime as important as knowing that there must be more written. This balance is best served by pre-writing strategies. Expressed here are methods which work well for this particular author. Others can work the methodology to the Ts and probably receive good results, however the writing process is an intimate and dynamic operation which is customizable to the individual writer.