pearible design

Writing Process

Recently I read an academic paper on writing processes. Overall I found the premise flawed and indulgent, but I did manage to take something away from it - there are people for whom writing itself is a transformative event. It molds their thinking as they write, sometimes changing it drastically. They think of themselves as “writers” and feel a deep need to express themselves in the written word.

I’m not one of them.

While I enjoy writing, depending upon the context and time available, I don’t know that I’ve ever changed my own mind while doing it, or found the process transformative. I write to convey information. My thoughts are already fairly well formed before they’re placed on paper (or the electronic equivalent), not shaped as I go - even if only seconds before I’ve commited them to writing. What can I say?

Now, I’ve certainly been transformed, and had my mind changed by -reading- I love reading. I adore it. I always have - I read my first “grown up” novel at the tender age of five (Carrie by Stephen King, and don’t blame my mother, it wasn’t her fault), and have kept going strong since then. When asked to pick my top 5 books of all time, I can’t - give me a list of 500.

But transformed or had my mind changed by my own writing? A need to self-identify as a writer, and express myself in written word? I think this blog pretty much spells it out. There are designer blogs out there that are fantastic. Some have had their posts transformed into books, and some haven’t but should… this probably won’t be one of those blogs. That’s okay, though. I’ll be happy if I occassionally have something intelligent, or witty, or helpful to say.

Giddy, if I can fit all three in one post.