The Catharsis of Writing on Writing

Summary

The author, a lifelong writer, found personal growth and improvement in their craft through the act of writing about writing, which led to a realization that the process is an ever-evolving journey of self-reflection and sharing one's experiences.

Abstract

The article delves into the author's personal journey with writing, starting from their childhood when they wrote stories as gifts. As an adult, the author struggled with the complexity of writing and felt their work lacked substance. This led to a period of introspection and analysis of their writing process. The author discovered that writing about their writing process not only helped others but also served as a catalyst for their own development. They realized that the act of articulating their process was akin to revising a draft—constantly evolving and improving. The author contributes to various publications and has published poetry books, emphasizing the personal and continuous nature of writing.

Opinions

The author initially doubted their expertise in writing, despite their intention to help others improve.
Writing on writing is seen as a tool for self-improvement, more beneficial to the author than perhaps to the reader.
The author acknowledges that writing becomes more challenging with age and experience, contrasting the ease of writing as a child.
By sharing their writing process and mistakes, the author believes they can help fellow writers find what works for them.
The author views the process of writing about writing as never truly complete, always open to revision and refinement.
Writing about one's writing process is presented as a deeply personal endeavor, akin to revealing one's identity to the world.

The Neverending Gift to a Writer

I noticed a lift in my self-esteem AFTER I began dispensing tips about writing. I sincerely wanted to help people improve their writing and become more successful at it. But then I realized I was full of shit. What did I know? I didn’t really know how to write. ‘Writing on writing’ articles can be more helpful for the author than the reader.

Stuck in a Rut

I began writing as a young child. I would write stories for my friends and family as Christmas and birthday presents. It became evident early on that I was going to follow writing as a profession. As an adult, however, I learned that writing was more difficult than it had been as a child and even an adolescent. I found it increasingly difficult to write anything with more substance than a cut-and-dry research-paper formatted article. As time went on, I felt more and more empty as I submitted articles, each one drier than the last, yet they were accepted. My writing process had not changed in all these years. I needed a change. So, I analyzed my writing process.

The Neverending Gift

In looking at my notes on my writing process, I realized that each time I jotted down notes and rearranged my schedule, my process, they evolved. I added and weeded out elements that worked and didn’t work. I realized that there was little difference between them and an article on writing. I could show people how I write and share mistakes I have made and they could take from the articles whatever they needed to make themselves better.

Mine is just one example of a story of a writer struggling with how to improve their writing. Writing on writing is a highly personal process. It requires you to look at and scrutinize the very thing you love to do. Presenting your process to fellow writers is more than sharing how you work. It is producing who you are for others to see. It is never the ‘final draft.’ You are constantly putting yourself out there, looking at it, and improving it.

I contribute to the publications Illumination, An Idea (An Ingenious Piece), and Fellowship of Writers.

My fiction can be found on Vocal: Vulture Writer

I write poetry, which can be found on the first two publications above and in my books here: