Writing Lessons Come From the Darnedest Places
by Debra Koontz Traverso
Copyright 2002-2008 Debra Koontz Traverso.
All rights reserved in all media.
The content of this article may be forwarded in full without special permission provided it is used for not-for-profit purposes and full attribution and copyright notice are given. For all other purposes, contact Debra Koontz Traverso at Debra@DebraTraverso.com
Those who know me well know that — as a writing coach and instructor — I tend to
liken just about everything to the craft of writing (I mean, writing, life...where
does one end and the other begin?) So, it should come as no surprise that I recently
gleaned new lessons in writing while helping my son research the settling of the American West.
But first, some background: When the settlers trekked west, they carefully planned
their journey so that they didn't have to cross water until the end of any given day.
This way, they could cross the water, immediately build fires on the other side to dry
off over night, then forge ahead comfy and dry the next morning. Seems like good sense.
The Native Americans, on the other hand, approached the same task differently. Unlike
the settlers, they didn't let a little thing like water stop them. They didn't
backtrack, sidetrack, skirt around or avoid water at all. When they came to water,
they forged straight through, regardless of the time of day. If that meant crossing
the water in the morning and being wet the entire day, then that's what they did.
Okay Deb, you ask, so what does this have to do with writing? Let me answer that in
the form of another question: How many of us, like the settlers, avoid the water
(the writing) and opt instead to agonizingly take the longer trail to avoid the
water (tweak the outline for the hundredth time, research more than necessary,
worry about how to get started, feel guilt that we're not typing away)? We writers
should be more like the Native Americans and wade right into the water when the
trail we're blazing demands it. Let's not go miles out of our way to avoid the
inevitable, as the settlers did. There's a certain comfort that comes with being
completely drenched, submerged in our writing.
Another lesson? Initially I thought that the act of crossing the water at night
seemed like a very symbolic analogy for seeing a task through to completion while
simultaneously targeting a fresh (and dry) start each day. Upon further pondering,
I realized that the Native Americans' approach would serve to make us all better
writers. They stopped short of crossing the water the night before and chose
instead to start their day with the discomfort of getting wet. As writers, we
often have trouble getting started each day. To overcome the fear that comes
with a blank sheet of paper, we should leave the water to cross in the morning.
In other words, today, stop just short of finishing that page, that paragraph or
that sentence. This way, when you again sit down to write tomorrow, you will have
the unfinished thought in mind, and can immediately begin writing and accomplishing.
The mere act of writing will get your momentum going and you'll probably find that
your writing will flow much more smoothly.
Oh, and one more thing: happy trails to you on your writing journey.
Debra Koontz Traverso, M.A., is a creative and commercial writer, public speaker and consultant, having published several books and hundreds of articles. She also serves as a guest instructor at Harvard University and as adjunct faculty at her local community college. She can be reached at Debra@DebraTraverso.com.
Copyright 2001-2008 Debra Koontz Traverso. All rights reserved in all media.
The content of this article may be forwarded in full without special permission provided it is used for not-for-profit purposes and full attribution and copyright notice are given. For all other purposes, contact Beth Mende Conny Beth@WriteDirections.com.
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