Writing–The Right Type: Steven Savage
This originally appeared as a post in May 2011.
Last column I mentioned, in my usual contrarian fashion, that one of the best ways to write is to focus on not writing. I emphasized getting your life in order so you can write. Now, being contrarian to my contrarianism, I’m going to focus on writing.
I find that there are two choices you need to make – to use focused or spontaneous writing. You need to find what method is right for you – and when.
Some people are spontaneous writers. They get the writing bug, sit down and write, and it just comes out. If you’re a spontaneous type, then making sure your life is in order is even more important – because you don’t need anything cramping that spontaneity. You need to have things running smoothly enough that you can suddenly take two hours to bang out half a novella.
Then there are the focused writers. They work best when they schedule a time to write – be it weekly or daily. They may need the discipline, the clarity, or the structure. If you’re a focused writer, then you need to have your life in order so you can sit down and take that large block of time – and not be interrupted. You also need to be sure your life remains organized enough that all the time taken to maintain that orderly state doesn’t leave you exhausted.
Finally, there’s the people who can – or have to – do both. That’s me – some stuff is spontaneous, some works better when scheduled. This is a special kind of situation that means you have to have everything running smoothly. It’s not easy.
I’m kind of jealous of people that can be one or the other. I spend a lot of my time diagnosing what writing style works best for me when, so I can make it work, and it’s a bit of an erratic experience. But it’s worth it.
So, with your life in order, which way do you write best? Find out and make it work.
