It's not uncommon to encounter someone talking to themselves and when they realize they've been noticed, offer the explanation, "I was just thinking out loud." The readings for this week got me thinking about how this practice of thinking aloud is so common and acceptable while taking a similar approach with writing is so rare.
I consider myself a practiced writer, fully able to succeed at the college level, but I'm also somewhat of a result of the product focused approach to teaching writing. In the entirety of my high school career, I can't recall ever being told to learn as I write, or to focus on my own writing process. I was frequently told to examine the writing of others, pull out themes, symbols, and images, but there wasn't any time left for concentrating on the act of writing.
Somehow, I survived this instruction and ended up with the writing process I have now, a writing process that is both recursive and filled with discovery. This discovery is present in all my writing, but seems easiest to find in fiction. With a creative writing piece, I start typing with an empty page and only a vague awareness of what comes next, I am more in pursuit of a feeling, a sense of rightness, than any specific plot or series of events. As I proceed with the piece, I find myself surprised at where I end up, nudged in new directions by my own characters. For me, this act crystallizes the idea of learning through writing.
Because of my own experience, I feel confident about encouraging others to practice this "writing aloud" method in their own writing.
Mike, I really enjoyed reading your post this week and considering how it is especially important to "write aloud" as you say. Not only does it help improve your writing, but also allows you to make sure all your ideas get out of your head and onto the paper.
ReplyDeleteMike, I agree with your sentiments in this post. Like you, I somehow managed to make it through high school with only one teacher concretely addressing the act of writing. However, the type of writing we discussed was purely academic, and creative endeavors were pushed to the wayside. I also enjoyed your thoughts on the discovery process writing presents. I hope to employ this sort of structure in my future classes, not only in writing, but also in reading of literature. Good luck with your draft!
ReplyDelete-Mackenzie
I agree. I've found some of the most rewarding writing experiences I've had came about when I wasn't sure what was to come next, which character I'd meet and develop, which setting I found myself in. These kind of experiences keep me writing.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteI am totally that talking aloud person that makes that comment after I have been spotted in the act. In terms of your statement: "In the entirety of my high school career, I can't recall ever being told to learn as I write, or to focus on my own writing process. I was frequently told to examine the writing of others, pull out themes, symbols, and images, but there wasn't any time left for concentrating on the act of writing." I learned that way too but that was and is the way a lot of secondary educators teach writing. At different levels of education we are going to learn in various ways but I totally like how you commented on discovery in writing because I have gotten to do more of that in college and believe that is very effective.
It's true that we have all managed to survive never being told to learn as we right, but it seems like it is a pretty natural thing. Even if I sit down with a complete outline, I never finish my paper without thinking of new tangents I want to include. I love your line, "I am more in pursuit of a feeling, a sense of rightness, than any specific plot or series of events" and completely agree. I cannot stop writing, even if the chronological events have ended, unless I feel like I have hit that feeling that I've been pursuing. Hitting this feeling while formulating something the reader can understand is always the biggest challenge.
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