Monday, May 18, 2009

In Other Words

Writing has always been a challenge to me. Although I have been an avid reader since youth, I have not acquired the “bug” to write. Be it a lack of skills, motivation, or time, I have refrained from the challenged of expressing myself through written work. Until now, I have considered writing in its most fundamental form: a method to communicate ideas and the imaginings of the mind. When choosing a novel, poem, or short story to read, I have come to know what genre and authors “I get,” or better yet, who “get me.” This, perhaps, has been the nexus of my struggles with writing.
My favorite authors are John Steinbeck, Jack London, and Ernest Hemingway. Their work is conversant, beautifully written, and artfully plain. Without knowing the fundamentals of writing, their writing styles seemed simple, almost easy. I have come to realize that writing is a disciple: one I have not yet begun to master. In my writing process, I require a lot of time to synthesize my thoughts. Developing a concise thesis is probably my most difficult writing task. I find myself frantically searching for reference and source material in an attempt to ignite an authentic idea. Procrastination is also an ugly companion to my writing process. I recognize that research and brainstorming is no substitute to getting "down to the writing." However, I consistently underestimate the breadth of work involved in producing any written work, especially when dancing around a thesis I have not yet developed.
Though not often realized, my primary goal when writing is to succinctly convey my main purpose using as few words as possible. Participating in peer review has been the best way to hear constructive feedback and being given the opportunity to re-evaluate and revise written work has produced my best results.
Although I’m still struggling with my own creative process, I have been inspired to become a better writer. I have a renewed appreciation for the written word and consider myself a work in progress. Having re-entered the academic world after a 17 year hiatus, I have made a couple of discoveries: I know more than I thought I did and I have a lot left to learn.

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