7 things I have been thinking about since starting the PWE course
These are also things I learned
1. Editing
I used to think of editing as a tedious, dry process, an afterthought even. I thought of it as equivalent to the spelling and grammar check on Word. Editing, of course, is not writing, but it is skin deep. It does not just perform repairs on the columns that support a structure but the carvings and details. It carries its own chisel. I have definitely changed the way I look at editing.
2. Writing tools
A keyboard, unlike writing by hand, encourages an intersection between writing and editing, because of the backspace function. It is important to separate writing from editing for the sake of creativity. Some people are able to achieve both steps on Word, but if you find writing comes easier when you handwrite that maybe why. Using a computer to do successive drafts and to edit can help. I think I am much more aware of separating writing from editing now.
3. The sea of language
The deeper undercurrents of language are harder to catch, because they are formed through the meaning we give life. A writer can come across as kind or mean or Freudian or whatever. However, the surface of language can be broken. It has to be broken to form the tone. I found that my tone was sometimes too formal in the way I put things. I think the feedback I got helped me break away some of the rigidity, and explore tone by linking it to the audience and the overall purpose. I feel I need more practise with this.
4. The solitude of a writer
Writing is a solitary act. That’s why, the environment can help ease the load of the long haul. There’s something to be said for resilience of course, but it always helps to have other pairs of eyes following what you’ve written. Writing a book is like being in a relationship and self-care is important. One of the best ways of doing self-care is not just communicating on the page but with characters who are real such as your fellow writers and your good friends. Remember, you don’t have to live in a wilderness.
5. Good feedback comes through practise and care
The best feedback I’ve received since the early writing years has been about improving my writing. Self-satisfaction doesn’t help. Strengths in writing also need polishing. Everyone needs encouragement on their strengths, which can help further those strengths. It is okay to note strengths and it is okay to note weaknesses. I’ve found being honest with feedback is an ongoing challenge for the reader. Giving good feedback comes through being informed and reading closely. It is dependent on empathy and honesty. It neither condemns nor trolls with compliments. It is hard to get right every time. Doing it in person is always better.
6. The business side of writing
I felt this course strongly focussed on the business side of writing, like copy writing, in some units. I’ve never been comfortable with selling things. It is no secret that language can be exploited; the way some products are advertised is very misleading.
This is all the more critical in politics when wars are sold and defended whether in Ukraine or Iraq.
The thing is war is different from peace. Selling products like bread is a lot different. But even when selling bread we don’t have to be misleading.
Writers can pick products and companies to work with whose values align with theirs. I feel knowing this changed my view of the business side of writing.
7. Non-fiction is also creative writing a lot of the time
Creative writing is synonymous with fiction. There’s even a genre of non-fiction called “creative non-fiction” to separate it from other non-fiction. I already had an appreciation of non-fiction prior to this course. Descriptions of the Antarctic desert, for example, can be as creative as something out of a poetry book. While I already felt indebted to all the non-fiction books I have ever perused to learn about something or as resources for creative ideas, the non-fiction unit gave me a better look at the creative potential of non-fiction.
