The writing process has been and probably will always be a topic to debate. There are so many styles and techniques people find most easy, in order to achieve worthy literature. For me, I must be interested and present when I write. Also, it is imperative that I enjoy the direction in which I am writing so I won't get too distracted. I have written a piece titled Mean Writers, which discusses the writing process at a round table setting. Sitting at the table are famous writers Don Murray, Mary Karr, Anne Lamott and soon to be famous writer, Myself. I have also included memorable quotes from each of their readings. For my personal enjoyment, I have decided to pay homage to the movie Mean Girls by connecting a similar setting and subtly changing some of the movie's most iconic lines. Mean Girls is such a cult classic and I absolutely adore everything about it. Hopefully in reading Mean Writers, I will encouraging my readers to write too! Mean Writers It's currently 12:00 pm, everyone's favorite time of day, writing time! Which takes place in the writing room.The Writing room is a well lit room full of windows filled with tons of paper: You should see it! They have all sorts of paper. Black Paper, White paper, Blank paper, sloppy unreadable paper and even balled up paper. It's always terribly busy with writers amongst their own disclosed communities sitting at round tables. There are the cool writers, the unfriendly writers, the desperate writers, writers who write their feeling and writers who actually don't write at all. And then there was my table and we go by the name "The Papers" We are the coolest writers you could ever meet!
We all knew it was better to be in the papers hating life, than to not be in at all. The Papers consisted of the very tight and always right Mary Karr, the very dramatic Anne Lamott, the intellectual Don Murray and Me, the struggle writer. I sit at the table and ask for a pen so I can start my book titled "the extinguished book" Anne quickly passes me her pen and lets me know that she needs it back. I start to write and for some reason cannot begin. I ask my table mates how they normally begin the writing process. As usually, Mary took the lead and proudly said "In the beginning, when there are zero pages, you have to cheer yourself into cranking stuff out, even if it lands on the cutting room floor." Anne then dramatically yells "It's hard to get your footing, and your fingertips get all red and frozen and torn up." I sit silently feeling discouraged and then Don calmly chimes in and says "Not overnight, for writing is a demanding, intellectual process; but sooner than you think, for the process can be put to work to produce a product which may be worth your reading." I perk up with understanding and cheerfully say "why yes, creating worthy literature takes time!" I neatly begin to write in my best font, cursive. Mary looks at my paper and gasp! She couldn't believe that I was writing so fancy for my first draft. Are you writing in cursive she spits. I stutter and answer yes, why? She says because it's a big ol' waste of time! If you're going to write like that starting off then YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US! Anne rolled her eyes and begin to tell me her way of starting. "First I try to breath, because I'm either sitting there panting like a lapdog or I'm unintentionally making slow asthmatic death rattles. So I just sit there for a minute, breathing slowly, quietly. I let my mind wander." I nod my head yes to agree. Don picked up and said listen. " In Prewriting, the writer focuses on the subject, spots an audience, chooses a form which may carry his subject to his audience. Prewriting may include research and day dreaming, note-making and outlining, title-writing and lead-writing." I'm exhausted I said "SO BASICALLY, Prewriting takes the most time in the writing process." Mary now has a look on her face as if she just taken a trip down memory lane. She snaps out of it and adds, why yes! you would need to find a subject! One time I found it extremely hard to write so I decided to write about "my mother, whom I'd vowed not to write about anymore. But-- surprise!-- that was exactly what I needed to write about -- how making peace with her legacy was something I had to do to become a mother myself." Anne noticed I'm still a little unconfident and said Tiffany, Listen "Very few writers really know what they are doing until they've done it." Don agrees as well and firmly says "We must listen carefully for those words that may reveal the truth, that may reveal a voice." I brighten up and say "I'm so happy with all of your encouragement! I now know that writing is a process and to not be so hard on myself when starting the product. I have to just start, freely." With that being said, the bell rings and I say see you all again on Wednesday. We all freeze and then say in unison "ON WEDNESDAY WE WRITE" we all laugh. We say our farewells and as I make a dash for the door I hear Anne yell "I WANT MY PINK PEN BACK! I WANT MY PINK PEN BACK!"
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Tiffany swanI will use this blog to express my thoughts, creativity, and lust for life through literature. Archives
May 2019
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