In Ten Ways to Think about Writing: Metaphoric Musings for College Writing Students by E. Shelley Reid she uses ten different metaphors to explain writing. Each of the metaphors highlights a different way to process writing. She compares writing, for example, to “a dance,” in which words must flow in rhythm. I was drawn to this image because it highlights the fact that writing is more than just putting words on paper. Writing is also about creating a flow that leads the reader through ideas and thoughts. In my opinion, I believe that everyone has a flow state during there best writing. Which is when you keep writing while the thoughts keep flowing to you and you can’t stop because you don’t want to lose this state of writing.
Reid also highlights that writing is a conversation with the reader. This stood out to me because it made it clearer to me that my writing should engage readers. In this sense, writing is more participatory, and it’s not just about what I want to communicate. It is also about how I want to interact with my audience when writing. Writing is a two-way conversation, which gave me the idea of how I should make my writing more interesting and approachable so that readers can not only comprehend my point of view but also feel like they are part of the discussion. After reading this, I now view my job as a writer as more than just telling stories. It has also inspired me to think more carefully about the way I organize my writing and tone before writing.
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