A Writer's Memo...and Process...and Purpose?

 
My writing is all about the process, and it’s different every single time I write. Sometimes, when I’m writing, it comes so naturally to me. I paint words on the page like a jazz musician playing the saxophone on the street—it just flows and works. Sometimes, when I’m writing, I am completely lost. I’m a kid in a maze of mirrors—thinking I know where the path ends, but end up bumping into myself again and again and again.

 
The thing is, writing and its processes doesn’t have to be linear. Vicki Spandel outlines an idea in her piece, “The Right to Write Badly,” which says that writers have, “The right to be heard, to find a personal voice, to be assessed thoughtfully and compassionately, to make writing process not an external structure but a part of their thinking” (ix). Writers have the power to take their processes and styles and apply or transfer them to multiple variations of their lives. The idea that forming thoughts and finding voice within writing using a critical lens becomes a rounded process within both writing and thinking. 

There are a multitude of reasons that we write, and not all of them have to be deeply meaningful in contexts. My process in writing a journal entry might be to let words fall onto the page, not having a rhyme or reason in doing so. My process in writing a 17-page rhetorical analysis might have more layers to it--brainstorming sheets, quote lists, idea pages, color-coding, etc. I am developing and rehearsing with the performance of my pen in both processes, but the stakes are different. A journal entry is meaningful to me, I am not worried about others assessing me on my word vomit. A large paper or essay, however, is meaningful to my grade, to my editor, to my tutor, to whoever is going to read it and in what context. Linda Flowers and John Hayes refer to these differences in processes in their article, “The Cognitive Process Theory of Writing,” in which they say, “Writers create their own goals in two key ways: by generating both high-level goals and supporting sub-goals which embody the writer's developing sense of purpose," (365). The purpose in which the writing derives from repositions the process in which it is formed from. Within both processes one thing remains the same: I re-read, re-write, and re-fine. 

Re-read: What did I just write? Does it make sense, or is it just words on a page? I re-read every idea, every line, and every notion trying to figure if it is both relevant to my own ideas and if it will be relevant to others as well. 

Re-write: Which parts in my re-read didn’t feel all the way connected? How can I develop the ideas I already have? Is there any way to restructure or re-identify the writing I already have?

Re-fine: What is my word choice like? Is the way I am writing sustainable to read? Take a look at the writing with a “fine-tooth-comb” (a saying that means look very closely). Is my purpose clear? 

Though I am on the younger side of the writer spectrum, I find that I have a multitude of trainings and experiences with writing in different modes or outlets. The processes I go through (and also nerd-ily enjoy) may not even cross the minds of novice writers. Novice writers often refer to the “template” when writing. The process or outline used when many novice writers write can often be stilted rather than free-flowing. Spandel also alludes to this idea when noting that the fear of failure increases stress and minimizes willingness to take chances (63). To embody the development of skills within novice writers, it may be valuable to encourage and implement opportunities for writers to explore processes of writing within many different levels and outlets of the written word. Attaining a sense of purpose is arguably one of the most important factors in curating meaningful writing experiences, so encouraging it in multi-modal, online, argument-based, creative-worked, independent-inquiry outlets may just help novice writers find their own writing processes. 

It might be the exposure to different genres and styles that dictates a sense of purpose or inspiration in writing, leading to the development of process. Some of my favorite modes of writing accessed digitally are websites like Brevity, the Atlantic, Cream City Review (through UWM!), and sections of social media that surround themselves in literature, like profiles on Tiktok, Instagram, and Twitter. 

My writing is all about the process, and it’s different every single time I write. This time, it felt like running through a tunnel. I ran through my words all the way to the light at the other end, no bumps in the road. I hope you ran through this writing journey with me.