Thinking about writing
Writing is mostly thinking…in loud
Let me tell you what happens before, during, and after we write.
Before writing, an idea with its wings fluttering lands on our mind. It then hushedly asks the mind to talk with it so that the idea can become more clear, concrete. The mind obliges. After this talk, the mind moves our hands metaphysically to write down the now more clear idea. Once the writing is done, the idea that has been metamorphosed into words lends its wings to the other ideas floating around it.
You must know by now that this is not how writing happens, but the words you just read were written nonetheless. How? Because I thought of them.
This crazy idea started out as a thought — what if ideas came to us with their wings wide open and got immortalized into writing?
What is interesting to note is, it happened by “Thinking In Loud”, by talking and listening to myself.
Writing is one of the most introverted members in the family of arts
Not that writing doesn’t need thinking out loud (talking and listening to others); great ideas are born when we brainstorm with groups and great lines are spoken out before being written down. However, once the ideas are formed, writing needs us to turn inwards to listen to ourselves think about the idea, play around with it, and shuffle it in our hands to watch it from different perspectives.
We could get inspiration from outside, but the thinking to transform that inspiration into writing happens within.
Writing and thinking — an equal relationship
The more you think, the better the writing. The better you write, the better you think. They are similar to a good rainfall that leads to a good yield. And with better yield, the farmer has more money to harvest rainwater for later use. Both feed each other, thus continuing the cycle of creativity, stories, and impactful words.
In the beginning, I said that I will share what happens before, during, and after writing. The answer is — thoughts happen. And thoughts are something we all have aplenty.
Here are a few things that you can think of before, during, and after writing to enjoy, learn, and progress in the process of writing.
Think of ourselves (Before and after)
Think of why we want to write? How will it feel when we will express ourselves well through writing?
Think of the dopamine surge that comes with writing; how purposeful will it make us feel?
Think of our ideas (before, during, after)
If we won’t care for our writing and our ideas, then who else will?
What impact will our ideas bring? How will our thoughts look when written down? How will our idea come to live? Does our idea need more research for us to be able to express it in the most true form? Have we expressed it to the best of our abilities?
Think of your audience (before and after)
We need to provide value to our audience. Hence, we must think of questions like,
What do our audience want to read and why; how will they benefit from what we are writing, and more.
Once the writing is done, we must think if the writing achieves the purpose? If not, what more can be done?
Think of our relationship with writing (before and after)
Writing needs high-maintenance, and we must start to like the job of maintaining it. We need to think of our “why” consistently — is it to publish a book, to express ourselves better, or for artistic pleasure?
We need to understand how we procrastinate and feel before writing, and how it changes after writing. What closes us off and what inspires us?
Whether we have inculcated the writer’s mindset?
But also,
Don’t think too much. To have a write up, we must write.
If we need to eat food, we need to sow something and harvest it. Thinking is the sowing, harvesting is the process of writing, and the writing piece is the food.
Do you think we have missed more aspects of writing that we must think of? Let us know in the comments.
The Folded Paper Prompt
Let’s do something creative.
If your writing were a human, how would it be? Think and let us know in the comments section.
About The Folded Paper
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