Topic of the month 3 ('How I write')

How I Write.  Alan Maley

 (updated on 11 April 2014)

The short answer is – with great difficulty!  Though I have spent most of my adult, professional life writing, it does not get any easier with time.  Writing is tough and painful.  The reward comes in those rare moments of total absorption in the writing, when I lose all sense of time – lost in the ‘Flow’ experience.

What helps to get me going?  Deadlines certainly do!  As the fateful day closes in, I am forced to get myself together, clear my thoughts, and just get down to it.  All the distractions I subconsciously use to stop myself from doing the writing melt away as the heat of the deadline approaches.

I also find it easier to write in certain environments.  I like to write in my ‘study’ – a rather small and cluttered space – a familiar place like a dog’s basket, where I can turn round and round and settle into a comfortable position.  There, I am surrounded by my books, pictures, photographs and nick-knacks.  It looks a mess but I know where everything is, and can lay my hand on a book or article I need almost blindfold.

But I also sometimes get good ideas in coffee bars and restaurants while I am away travelling.  That’s a powerful reason for always keeping a notebook to hand.  I rarely write anything complete in places like this but the notes are an invaluable resource for later.

I used to write all my first drafts by hand, using a favourite pen but, increasingly, I find I can compose directly on to my computer.  It is easier to edit this way but the disadvantage is that I do not have my earlier drafts to refer back to.  But for poems, I still prefer to use a pen and paper.  There is something unique about the physical contact of the pen with the paper.  And I tend to use scrap paper, partly to save the trees but also perhaps because it makes it easier for me to throw things away and start again.

I am a morning person, and usually get started about 7am.  I often have ideas which came to me during the night.  I need to get these down before they are lost in the whirring, buzzing confusion of the day.  When I am in a ‘flow’ state, I can work right through the day, though I tend to avoid writing at night.  Normally, I give myself plenty of breaks: coming back to something after a brief rest often helps me to move on.

I get my ideas from a whole range of sources.  I walk every day near a lake and a river, and ideas often float to the surface unbidden.  I spend a lot of time thinking back on people and places I have known, and experiences I have had.  I try to see the world around me fresh and newly-minted, which helps me make new connections and combinations.  I also get ideas from my own reading.  I read a lot and I am convinced that this also fuels new connections.

If I get a block, as everyone does from time to time, the best thing is to switch activities – have a coffee, go for a long walk, call a friend, read something completely different, watch a mindless programme on TV…anything to change gear for a while.

When I have written a first draft, I tend to put it aside for a day or two, then come back to it.  For one thing, this helps me to notice obvious, glaring faults.  And as I re-read, I often find I am also re-writing, sometimes finding a completely new angle or direction.  Writing for me, is a messy process, and I have to remind myself that this is Good!  It needs to be messy!

I also believe in showing what I have written to people whose judgement I trust, even if this is sometimes uncomfortable.  But a second opinion is always valuable – it is easier to see what is writing in someone else’s writing than in one’s own.

Now it is time to stop talking about writing (that’s the easy bit), and to get back to some actual writing (that’s the hard part!)

How I Write. (Risti)

Uploaded on 23 April 2014

I keep a diary, or rather a notebook, because it is not like “dear diary” kind of book. I note down whatever I feel is important wherever I am; in the classroom, in my office, on the street, at home, everywhere. I use these notes as a bank for topics, plots, settings of my stories or just inspirations for my poems.

Whenever I feel like writing, I open the notebook, read some pages and then begin to write. Once, I wrote about a poor boy whose parents were collecting used plastic bags and things from the garbage. This story was inspired by a family who always took a rest on the road after a day’s work collecting the plastic garbage. They sat on my neighbour’s doorstep under the star-fruit tree across from my back door. Their cart was full of plastic. I always wondered how they could get that big a pile. I made up the story by combining it with what was happening then, “The World Cup.”

So, for me, inspiration can be obtained from our environment or even reading and articles in magazines or newspapers. But the inspiration will still be no more than an idea if it is not put in a setting or situation and plot. Then we put in characters and develop them to make the story seem like real. But, this is not without problems. My main problem is always in the choice of words. I guess I have to read stories a lot more to overcome the problem.

How I Write.  (Malu Sciamarelli)

(Uploaded on 23 April 2014)

Writing is always connected with the idea of pleasure to me. When I am writing, I lose all sense of time and space, and look deep inside myself to find words that will compose my texts. I remember making up stories since I was a small child, even before I could actually write words; I would scribble drawings on paper to reveal my stories. Those moments always brought me so much fun, as much as they do today.

Although it is always a pleasure, I find myself writing for two occasions: first, when I have deadlines, and I am forced to produce a piece of writing I was asked for, and second, when I have an idea that keeps pulsating in my mind, and stops me from doing anything else.

There are some environments in which I certainly feel more comfortable to express my creativity, such as a garden or my own bedroom. These are spaces where I feel safe to write, always in silence and completely alone. People and exterior noises distract me. I also feel they are invading and changing the course of my writing. Listening to some music before this process though, might motivate me.

However, when an idea starts, I may stop wherever I am in order to write. Once, I was leaving work late at night, when a whole story formed in my mind. Without hesitating, I got into my car in the car park, locked the doors, opened my laptop and wrote one of my favorite stories so far. These are unusual moments and when they set in, I respect them and simply write.

I write the final draft in my laptop, preferably during the day, and completely alone, but I always keep a little notebook and a pencil with me wherever I go. When I have an idea, or something inspires me, I open that little notebook of the moment and  write.

Ideas come from  the world around me. There are certain places where I may feel more inspired, but I believe everything has its own magic that is just waiting to be discovered and recorded. Sometimes, however, I wake up in the middle of the night and write. The ideas may come from my previous day,  or even from my dreams. More often, they come from something I read. Reading is a powerful source of new ideas to me, especially my own writing. Reading and re-reading something I wrote before, will ignite my creativity to write more and more.

If I get a block, I stop writing and switch to something different, preferably in a completely different environment. Physical activities, such as running, one of my passions, will help me overcome any difficulties I had previously, and find my own motivation again.

I write the first draft on loose papers with a pencil. I like the idea of playing with words in the space of a white sheet of paper, sometimes drawing or writing the words in different places and shapes and forms. Then, I always put the papers aside for one or two days. When I come back to them, fresh perspectives and new ideas force me to change my writing. If I set it aside a second time, I will change it again. I feel that every time the papers and I are apart geographically, I'll be able to return and tackle new perspectives that I hadn’t covered before.

That is why I write the final draft on my laptop and only show it to one or two people I trust. I experience the pleasure of seeing how my ideas provoked comments and then give me new directions to follow. And even though I may not be able to change a text anymore, these new directions will lead me to more pleasant moments of writing. And beginning a whole new story again – more and more pleasure!

How I Write? (Vishnu S Rai)

(Uploaded on 23 April 2014)

‘If you were not a poet,

You’d have been a useful person’, she says.

I listen to her and nod my head.

‘Let me clean your little den’, she offers.

‘It’s cluttered with books and is so untidy.’

‘Please don’t’, I decline. ‘I like it as it is:

tidiness makes me giddy.’

‘Where have you been in such a dark night’,

Her voice is alarming.

‘I was lying on the roof, talking with the stars’,

My reply is reassuring.

‘Were you in the garden in this midday sun’,

She’s speechless.

‘Well, yes. I was lying under a tree’, I stammer.

‘We were sharing our sorrow and happiness.’

‘Why are your eyes so red?’ she asks, ‘let me see’.

‘Don’t you worry’, I say.

‘Some colour from the rainbow

might have dripped into my eyes. Let it be.’

…Where are you going so early?

Even the sun hasn’t come out yet.’

…To the roof. Want to hear the song of the Himalayas,

You know, it doesn’t stay long. It doesn’t wait for you.

‘Why do you want to go overseas again’ she asks.

‘You’d only been to Europe last year.’

I say, “Strangers offer me love;

Places talk to me and give me ideas, dear!’

‘How funny! It’s hopeless to talk with you’, she resents.

‘Your tasteless jokes never cease.’

‘You know, when you are angry’, I try to reply.

‘Your body shakes like a slender plant in the morning breeze.’ 

‘If you were not a poet,

You’d have been a useful person’, she tries to suppress her smile.

I listen to her and nod my head.

How I write? (Motikala Subba Dewan)

Uploaded on 23 April 2014

For me, writing is breathing free. I breathe out my anxiety, feelings of heaviness and frustration, disappointments, as well as feelings of happiness and bliss. It is that important space of my life, where I give life to my daily thoughts: I see a poor beggar trembling in the winter cold, or a starving child in tattered rags… when incidents such as these occur they tug at my heart strings, and I write. And this brings me a gentle kind of peace.

I never gave much thought to the process of “how” I write. It always seemed like a reflex action to my feelings,  as if I kept a mental record of eventful or interesting happenings. I normally start by playing around with random words that pop up in my mind. Then I twiddle with sentences that I imagine hovering in front of my closed eyes. Finally, I start writing a draft of my piece, which I later proofread. I usually find my writings satisfy me more when I have written them in a lighter mood, and at leisure.

The first creative piece I wrote was a story about a stray dog. It became quite an interesting tale especially for children. I remember taking pictures of the dog while I regularly observed its antics around the garbage dump near my college. I also remember how every day I tried to put down appropriate words or a few lines that would best outline my daily routine of observation. My mind would always wander to my story even when my hands were engrossed in daily chores like washing clothes or ironing. Even zigzagging in my car through a busy street did not let my thoughts wander away from that stray dog.

Writing is my passion in life. When I succeed in pouring out the pent-up emotions in my heart, onto a simple piece of paper with precision, feeling and mostly to my liking, I manage a small but very happy smile.

How I Write (Phuong Le)

(uploaded on 2 May 2014)

I must admit that I’m a novice in the world of creative writing, which I wandered into by accident. One day, when Hoai An asked me whether I would like to join the Creative Writing group, I quickly said, “Yes, definitely”. But when I was asked to show Alan some pieces of creative writing, I innocently sent him the stories which I taught my pupils to write, as I had never written anything creative before, not even in my mother tongue. In response to this, Alan asked me to send him my own creative writing and I knew I was in trouble.  

In fact, I had written some journal articles but creative writing was a different genre, which I  thought could be only produced by those with a special gift. Therefore, I considered writing to An and Alan to withdraw the intention to join the team. After second thoughts, I did not want to upset Alan and An so I gave it a try. “This could be just like a language task anyway,” I comforted myself, and started work seriously. To my pleasant surprise, I managed to write more than one poem and I felt quite relieved when Alan kindly encouraged me to continue. That was how it all began. Up to now I have been with the team for almost four years and I enjoy this learning journey.   

I often write in my bedroom where, through a wide window, I can see the bright blue sky and enjoy the sea breeze in the morning. With a comfortable pillow to support my back and a good cup of coffee, I start reliving special moments in my daily life and let those moments go over slowly in my mind like a roll of film. The inspiration often comes from a TV program, the news or life experiences. When I find something that impresses me, I quickly jot down a few words and I let them brew for some time before I actually write. I find the laptop a wonderful aid as it can help me to cut and paste, write and rewrite so many times and so  quickly.

I normally write when I have nothing to worry about except writing. The best time for me to write is often after a morning swim or an afternoon nap, but I never write anything at one sitting. Based on a few words on scrap paper, I make sentences or even a whole poem, which I read and reread so many times to hear the rhythm and find the right world choice to make necessary changes.

Whenever I get blocks in writing, I stop to do something physical, like doing housework or eating something, and I only come back to my writing when I am in the mood again, and this  may happen days after that. My new product can be considered “finished” after I have edited and made changes to it several times. Then I may ask for help from an experienced reader who kindly gives me some feedback to make even further changes. Once in a while I revisit all my poems and make changes to them as necessary.

My experience with creative writing began as a chance encounter but I now find it an inspiring journey of self discovery and lifelong learning.

How I write (Umi Rukailah Safari)

(uploaded on 2 May 2014)

I started writing because I had to write. It was when I had to write essays for my Fulbright International Leaders in Education Program application. I got myself motivated to pass the selection when people thought it was impossible for me. My willingness to help my school to be recognized brought me genuine enthusiasm to get into the program. I was trying to do whatever I could do to improve my writing to show that people should not judge who we are from the rural place we are teaching at! So I challenged myself to join the creative writing workshop in 2011 where I met people -real writers to me- who were so encouraging and helped me. And I did it! I did get into the program.

 Later on, after two years, I'm writing because I had to write my response observation questionnaire for my Kent State International Leaders in Education Program.

The longing to see again the people I love, to be at the place I'm falling in love with has also driven me crazy for writing. The feedback on my writing made me think of doing better in organizing ideas; I should write these instead of those, I should be clearer on this, I should be more direct on that. And I did it! I'm currently doing my return. My International Leaders in Education Program return.

 I'm too shy to call myself a writer; I don't have fancy vocabulary, I have to struggle to choose the right words and to arrange them into sentences properly. I have to think twice or even more to organize my sentences because I speak more than three languages and they are so different in grammatical pattern. But I'm writing honestly to express myself, to show people my opinions, and my feelings. Writing has brought me here to the United States from a different part of the world: Indonesia. And it is the second time I’m here. I'm becoming a real writer at last!

HOW I WRITE (Mallika)

 Uploaded on 16 May 2014

I used to find it hard to write freely unless I had a black Pilot gel pen with a 0.3 nib and white paper. It was as specific as that. I would write whatever needed to be written on paper and then edit it a few times before I finally transferred it to the computer. I could not think in front of the computer. The screen and the keys were intimidating. But later, when I had to rush to meet deadlines I began writing directly using the computer and now it is the other way round. It has become difficult to write without my own laptop.

Space and environment are definitely important. Mostly I write sitting in front of my computer at the end of the dining table in my own house and it is not always quiet. There are times during the writing when you need absolute silence and there are also times when you need a bit of distraction, like the sound of cars passing by or someone sweeping the dry leaves in the front yard. I think it helps you to stay connected somewhat with life and that’s important.

At times you can have too much time and instead of being an asset it can actually prove to slow down the writing. So deadlines and a bit of pressure are good because it prods you from behind and tells you that you have to get that piece finished on time and usually you do.

It is not always the big things or grand ideas that make an effective story. Sometimes it is the way someone keeps touching his nose, pronounces a certain word  or a patch of thinning hair on someone’s head that can begin a story in the mind. It is also possible for a story to take over the writing and possess the writer so that it seems as if the story is writing you. When that happens you may sometimes have to tame it, break it like a wild horse but at the same time remember not to crush the spirit of your story.

Being aware of the audience is also crucial, although to an extent we all write for the audience of ourselves. We are our inner critic, the ‘other self’ who stands behind us to silently applaud or frown at what we have written. While editing our own writing is necessary and at times seem as brutal as chopping off limbs it nevertheless refines your writing and makes it more worthy of its purposes.  Marinating is good because it lets your writing soak in its own juices for a while before you come back and reread it with fresh eyes but don’t let it stand too long or it may begin to fester.

HOW I WRITE – Nguyen Thi Hoai An

Uploaded on 16 May 2014

I am not a professional writer! I sometimes doubt my writing ability! It is because writing is not always easy and I do not think I possess a sense of self-discipline strong enough for me to prepare for ideas, work out a plot, sketch the characters, etc.

Sometimes, I have so many ideas about something that I can just sit down and finish what I want to put in words in such a short time that it surprises me! Words seem to flow out by themselves and my emotions just get their own way to be on the paper. In such cases, my ideas can just jump around and when I feel I should stop, I stop. I do not usually re read what I write then and let myself enjoy the feeling of completing a piece of writing. When enough time has passed and I think I can read it again without being biased by my emotions, I do and sometimes, I am disappointed that I could not capture what I wanted! My disappointment maybe strong enough for me to throw all the writing away or I look for an excuse to say to myself “Hmm! Just leave it there for some more time and I will come back with something better”. That moment with “something better” may come or may never come!

Many writers keep a notebook with them and note down ideas, something that just comes into their mind or something they witness. I do not have that. All my ideas are in my mind. And I do not deny that I cannot keep everything there. I may forget a beautiful idea! More often, I just jot down some words or phrases to make sure the ideas are there.

I know I do not have an inborn talent for writing. I have to draw it out of my head, my heart and my core self. I am aware that writing at random like that will never make me a real writer, let alone a successful one! However, that does not bother me at all as I do not think it is necessary to become a professional writer. I simply want to write when I feel like doing it. If other people want to read it and see it worth reading, I am glad to share with them. If they do not, I can still write for myself.

There are also times when I write something but do not finish because half way through, I do not like the ideas or feel connected with the characters at all. Then I know that it is no use to try with that piece of writing.

All these are about writing prose. If it is about poetry, it is completely different. I can write a poem in just five minutes and read it again and feel happy with it. Again, there is no guarantee that it is good in other people’s eyes! I really feel I want to create a poem and I just do it. Very often, I catch myself thinking of things in the form of poems.

My beaut’ful ideas

Come and go like whirling breeze

Leave poems behind!

Life is like a long poem sounding like music though sometimes the rhythm is not in harmony with one’s emotions.

I write when I can and when I feel like it and what is important to me is that I can express my feelings, I can share with other people and therefore, though I am not professional, I will continue writing.