There was an article that ran this week on the Genreality blog by urban fantasy author Carrie Vaughn entitled “Things I Didn’t Expect About Writing Full-Time.”
I thought it was really interesting because I have noticed things that surprised me about spending my day as a writer. But I hadn’t actually sat down to articulate them.
Carrie Vaughn mentions things like the number of emails she gets, and the endless waiting for different things on the publisher’s end to happen.
Those things wouldn’t have made my list, but I’ve definitely noticed other things that have surprised me about being a writer. One thing that is that I spend most of my day writing. It’s not just work on my novel, of course—it’s also answering emails, writing blog posts, creating short tweets, writing status updates, commenting on blogs…I’m actually writing most of the day.
I’m writing to people who also spend most of their day writing. Other writers, my agent, my editors.
These people all have excellent communication skills. Way above average communication skills.
So lately—I’ve also noticed that I’ve had some frustration (well-hidden. I hope…) with regular people who aren’t writers and don’t write clearly. That’s something I never would have expected as a byproduct of spending my day writing.
I’m not picking out typos or being picky about grammar or anything like that—I’m just trying to figure out the point of the school-related email or the Scout-related email or the church-related email. Because the emails frequently ramble and aren’t clear. And I’m always in such a hurry to get to the crux of the missive.
And I’m used to corresponding with writers.
Which is ridiculous, of course. These non-writers aren’t practicing their writing skills like we are. I’m just learning to reread emails a few times to figure out what some of them are trying to say. And saving the emails and using my highlighting feature. :)
My husband has wonderful writing skills for a non-writer. But it takes him a long time to write an email. He wants to get the word choice exactly right.
So that’s what’s surprised me the most—the fact that I apparently think everyone writes well, or that writing is just a basic skill like reading is, because of the amount of time I spend interacting and corresponding with writers. :)
What surprises you, as you spend more time writing?
Elizabeth – Interesting question!! And it’s funny that you would mention the effect that your being a writer has had on your views of other people’s writing. I’ve noticed that, too, about myself, and I always thought it’s because I’m an educator. Maybe it’s not, though, because… I’ve also been surprised by how important computer technology has become to me. When my ISP is giving me fits, or when the computer is acting up, or when I forget to save something, it feels for a second as though the world’s ending. Amazing how depending writers become on smoothly-working computers!
It;s not a surprise that many people feel writing is a waste of time, a pastime they don’t have time for! Too bad.
Surprises? A lot. I agree with waiting. Who knew there was so much waiting involved, and such long lead times? And I guess I have the opposite misconception that you do about actual writing time–I’m surprised at how little “product-related” writing I’m doing, compared to the other (mostly promotional) writing. Interesting.
Unfortunately I write less than I want to, cause I don’t have the time. Or, to be more precise, I write a lot of technical stuff all the time, but wish I had more time to write other things.
Regarding the writing skills of non-writers, I completely agree with you. I work with a lot of very smart people, engineers, physicists, mathematicians and stuff like that. They often write misleading and confusing E-mails and reports (relative pronoun pointing to the wrong noun and stuff like that). Our work language is mostly English, so it may be due to many being 2nd-language English writers.
Cold As Heaven
This is so true. I spend most of my day writing or thinking about writing or planning my writing or editing what I’ve written. Often when I’m writing, I’m off in space and my family comes in to my office and I’m just staring out the window running through a scene. I must look crazy!
CD
I’m afraid doing more writing (though I work full-time as a database manager and am only an amateur writer at the moment) is making me MUCH more intolerant of other people’s ability to express themselves. We had one member of staff (now gone, thank goodness) who seemed to be incapable of writing except in the style of a programming language – I was always replying to his emails with ‘Tell me this in English and I might do something about it’. I have also become incapable of commenting on the ideas in people’s project plans etc without also critiquing the style, spelling and grammar – ‘Don’t say it like this, it sounds like an announcement on a train’. Fortunately people are quite tolerant of my funny ways since I am one of the oldest people in the organisation!
Yes I agree, those of us who enjoy using langauge do get exasperated by those who don’t. Lynne Truss is a great example of how we feel in her hilarious book Eats Shoots and Leaves. :O)
Well, as a teacher I am quite used to reading essays which range from excellent to really poor work. I have to read and mark them all, but I must admit that if bloggers don´t have anything interesting to say about the books they read (or write), I am less patient.
But one thing that has come as a surprise these six months when I have written more than ever before in my life, is how satisfying a day is if I am able to squeeze in my 1000 words. I have days when I can´t write, and other days when I am able to write 2-3000 words, but after the first thousand I feel ever so content.
That is definitely one of the things that I didn’t expect as a writer. It can be tough switching gears to interact with non-writers.
I’ve always despised rambling (especially in work meetings) but I notice it more in print now than before. Guess writing has taught me to be even more brief and to the point.
I agree with you. My friends in school hated me because I would always correct their grammar. Now, when I read the crazy e-mails, I can’t help but think, “Did you even bother showing up for English class?”
I try to be tolerant but my other working life as a therapist is so word-dependent too that sometimes it is difficult. Today I was at a very upscale craft market – a woman who makes soaps and bath salts etc…said that the Canadian government wouldn’t allow her to say that her lavender bath salts gave people courage but she was allowed to say that they gave people ‘the feeling’ of courage. We laughed at that notion but agreed that in some sense it meant that people (and institutions) really think words matter. Words are potent – at one time prescriptions were spells written on pieces of paper and eaten by the ill person – yes!
Ah ha! The old hi-liter trick! I had to do that for my boss because he received business e-mails that rambled. Now I do it for me because more than anything rambling (as I’m doing now) drives me nuts.
I had to chuckle at the comment above from Clarissa Draper. I understand completely that “crazy” look from family members because, for me, thinking and daydreaming are essential parts of my own creative process. Research takes up a chunk of time too.
Also, as a writer, I was very reluctant to use text jargon when I first got my iPhone. I cringe each time that I write “u” instead of “you.” But, I have accepted it as a time saver, knowing that my texts probably aren’t the next great novel!
My biggest surprise is that I don’t spend more of my time writing. I’m retired and have an abundance of time; yet I spend a good deal of it writing emails and editing other people’s book reviews.
bob
Book Bird Dog–I think that this attitude is occasionally reflected in school curricula, too. Which is such a shame!
Margot–I’m a major computer addict myself, so I feel for you!
Cold As Heaven–I’m thinking that technical stuff qualifies. :) You’re having to organize your thoughts, related to the data, in a way to make it readable for your intended audience–whoever that might be!
I’d like to think that was the reason behind your experience with confusing emails. But then, I know lots of professionals writing in their native language–and they can’t seem to get a grip on their ideas, either.
Clarissa–I think we look like we’re goofing off, too!
Sheila–It’s a good thing you can get away with it! I’m always afraid to say anything because I figure they’ll chalk it up to the fact that *of course* professional writers would feel that way. But it’s so frustrating when I can’t tell from the text what the plan for a Scout outing is, or a school event, etc.
Madeleine–I’ve GOT to read that book! It’s been on my TBR list for a while.
Heather–It’s hard to lower our expectations, isn’t it?
Alex–Ohhh…meetings are just the worst. I think sometimes that people ramble at meetings because they like hearing the sound of their own voices.
Anne–I don’t expect good grammar or spelling–I’ve definitely gotten over that. I’m like you, though…when the *content* is just inexplicable, then there’s a problem. They’re wasting their time (because I’m having to write them back to ask them to explain what they meant), and they’re wasting mine, too!
Alan–You know, I think I’ve just gotten used to the waiting. If anything happens quickly, then I’m surprised!
Jan–That’s too funny! The US is the same way…as far as advertising goes, anyway. Our governments are clearly putting a lot of stock into the power of the written word. :) And…interesting fact about prescriptions!
Mary–The fact that you and I have to spend time deconstructing emails we get is nutty! You’d think, actually, that *everyone* would be writing more, considering emails and texting are such popular forms of communication.
Denise–I think we all spend a lot of time looking blankly out the window! I’ll add talking to myself to that list…I do more of it now, just to sort out my ideas. I think I need to spend more time around people… :)
I text, too, and *definitely* use text jargon. To me, it’s more like another dialect and less like corrupted English. But I do wonder about kids and how much texting is going to spill over into their writing.
Dorte–That’s the thing that’s pounded into writers’ heads–what value are we providing to the reader? Are we entertaining them? Are we informing them? Why should they stick around and read what we have to write? We really hone what we’re writing–and non-writers clearly haven’t gotten that message. :)
After a thousand words, it sounds like you’re hitting your stride! It takes me a while to hit it too, sometimes.
Good question.
I write and blog all day. What surprises me is that writing a lot really does make you a better writer.
Sometimes, writers try so hard to become better writers by reading or asking the wrong people.
Reading does help and you need the insight of others, however writing words on paper (or typing them on a screen) is the only way to become a better writer.
My advice to other writers is to keep writing and writing until something works.
Lindsay, you make a great point. We’re practicing. There’s only so far we can go with reading others’ writings and reading industry-related information. By writing and re-writing, we get to the point where we can nail whatever we’re working on…and it gets quicker and easier to do it.
Hi Elizabeth .. interesting points – I just wish sometimes people would read my email, take a few moments and think what I’m saying and then answer – sometimes they answer their question .. not my query!
A lot of people write in their 2nd language .. and a lot of people today – the young – are unable to express themselves: yet others show wonderful skill.
They don’t know how to write a letter .. and therefore are not able to write an email coherently. So many just rattle their thoughts out, without a care in the world for grammar, punctuation or layout.
You’re right & I know my grammar etc is not perfect – I need to get some basic English lessons .. to understand it all – something went wrong somewhere in school!
Have a good week .. thanks Hilary
It surprises me that I fight writing so much when this is all I ever really wanted to do.