This week, we read “10 Ways to Think About Writing Metaphoric Musings for College Writing Students.” I enjoyed reading this passage because she truly breaks up the things that, as students, we were told about writing, making writing to be rigid. As she is a writing teacher, I think it falls on the teachers. Many teachers aren’t clear about the “rules” of writing; when they do, it’s a closed rigid way of thinking. For example, she states, “Your readers need to know how your examples connect and how each set of examples relates to your overall point.” You might say, “Every paragraph needs to start with a transition and a topic sentence and finish with a concluding sentence.” Good writers need space to grow; when you have helpful rules, you can come from your main idea/story and allow yourself to flow into the needs of your readers. I like to see writing as you’re driving a car on a pitch-black night. You can only see as far as your headlight; you have the music in your vehicle as the thoughts in your mind, and you’re cruising without forcing, just leading to your destination. If you have a creative mind, your mind probably went somewhere, which is also what Shelley states. From the thousand rules, cutting it down to three rules
Write about what you know about and are curious and passionate about. I’m not lying when I say this; I rather receive a 0 than write something out of my ass and not connect too. I feel like that’s when people start to feel writer’s block – because you’re writing something that you can’t relate to, feel, or experience, you’re just writing to write.
Show, don’t just tell. Allowing yourself to give the reader an idea will enable the reader to explore creativity and imagination, which is fun on both ends. While showing may be hard, start from the main idea and stream to where you want to take them.
Adapt to the audience and purpose you’re writing for. A writer has to connect to the purpose of their writing; once you connect, you can truly feel and adapt to the audience. When it comes to an audience, it literally takes the intro of your writing to either get them hooked or have them walk away. It’s in the writing content and language. Allowing yourself to adjust to your message. Writing is a dance; put your shoes on and let yourself go. Writing is hard, but you can do hard things 🙂
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