Writing (General)

I have read in a number of books that it’s very important to create a space for writing that is wholly your own and free from distractions. I confess that I didn’t quite buy it at first.

I am used to writing in a variety of cafes, at the dinner table, at the small desk in our living room, on the couch, in my favorite chair, and sometimes at my desk that really is more of a dumping ground than anything. The world is my writing space.

Well, not quite.

As deadlines loomed for my book on theology, I found myself craving more seclusion, more of a routine, more of a comfortable place to write. I had already painted an office with soothing colors and put down a nice floor, but I rarely used it. Why didn’t this space work for writing?

The more I thought about, the more I realized that it just didn’t suite me as a dumping ground for papers, books, and anything else that didn’t have a home. And so, I began to experiment with a few changes and it turned out that I love writing in my office now.

Here is what works for me:

• A clean desk with everything in neat piles or put away. I like to see lots of desk surface.
• My files are arranged neatly.
• My writing schedule is posted on the bulletin board next to my desk.
• The lighting is bright enough to work, but not too bright.
• Scented candles to create a little more warmth.
• My desk chair at a lower level somehow helps me focus when my feet are firmly planted on the group (yes, I’m short!)
• The floor is cleanly swept.
• The books on my shelves are neatly put away and dare I say…flush with the edge of the shelves.
• Traditional Celtic music playing softly. I love Radio Celt.

I’m sure I could list more, but these are some of the most recent changes I have made to my writing. Believe it or not, they really help. I actually look forward to writing a lot more. In fact, even when I don’t have an idea for writing, I find myself wishing that I did so I can go into my office.

One of the lessons every writer must learn goes something like this: just because your writing is good doesn’t mean it works. This could be filed under the "not taking ourselves too seriously" section. In the process of recounting a story I can provide juicy details, detailed descriptions, and events following one another in quick succession, but if any part of the story takes the reader away from the larger purpose for the story, the final destination, sometimes the prettiest prose has to be scrapped.

This is distressing. Us writers believe we can churn out quality material and spin a good yarn. We want to convince ourselves that all of the details in our stories are precious, important bricks in the edifice that is our writing.

But a story is taking the reader somewhere, making a point, and generally trying to avoid side trails. There are interesting parts of every story that sometimes don’t need to be included. These details just confuse the writer and take away from the main point of the story.

For my book Coffeehouse Theology I shared a story about our most recent move. We didn’t have enough help, I prayed some very specific prayers, and those prayers were answered quite directly. In fact, there you have the story in a nut shell. Of course there was a lot of background information concerning the various characters in the story that I initially included, information that made their help with our move all the more significant.

Though the story appeared more complete in my eyes, I simply interrupted the flow of the narrative and sent the reader on a side trail. My editor slashed the story down, chopping off the fat and leaving the bare bones. Curiously, the key point of the story remained in place. Only now the distractions were removed and the reader can now easily find my point without having to sift through the extra details that, while beautifully written if I may say so, interfered with the story.

Sometimes we can make our writing better by deleting some of the good parts.

Are you noticing that I have a few categories that don’t quite belong on the site of a freelance writer? Well the reason is I began this site as a kind of catch-all blog for my areas of interest: writing, photography, and nonprofit organizations, especially volunteers. Since I’ve gotten more serious about writing, I’ve had to refocus this site on my writing and drop the other topics. I’ll leave those categories for now just in case someone is interested…

Who has time to read newsletters? Well, some people do if the newsletter is helpful and concise. Check out these articles that offer some great advice on newsletters: one, two, and three.

I found this great little article that helps freelance writers figure out how much to charge. I generally would guess somewhere between $20 to $25 per hour, though this article hints that certain situations may call for higher rates.

This site is under construction and may go through some pretty major changes as of January and February of 2008. Hang in there!!!

I Never Wrote a Sentence I Couldn’t Delete: This is my new mantra. It makes writing bearable.

The Story Core Project and This American Life, both projects that focus on everyday people, confirm what we should have known all along: ordinary people are fascinating. Celebrity may amuse or interest on occasion, but who would take People Magazine over the story of a wealthy business man who attempts to negotiate a peace deal in Iraq or the way a family copes when one member is diagnosed with cancer?

Storytelling is part of who we are as people. Who doesn’t have a reserve of lively tales to toss into the pot when a good conversation is brewing? I readily pull out my two tales involving unwanted bats in our house, or the time myself and a group of friends followed ambulances to Jerusalem’s temple mount and witnessed the beginning of the Intifada in the fall of 2000.

Fiction certainly has an untouchable place in the realm of the arts and humanities. A skillfully woven tale is a masterpiece to treasure. Nevertheless, our fascination with memoirs and personal essays of late reveal more than our society’s vanity. Through these genres we connect with strangers, enter their worlds, and share their experiences. It’s as if we are living in someone else’s skin.

There is no shortage of these interesting stories, only opportunities to share them. Even if a story is committed to paper and never published, the writer provides an incredibly personal gift for future generations to learn from and share.

Regardless of publishing prospects, every person who has lived has a duty to pass on history, stories, or dare I say memoirs to the future generations. If the story is particularly good and the opportunity presents itself, it may even be worth submitting to a magazine or anthology. Writing down our own stories may turn out to be one of our most important accomplishments while on earth.