The Fluidity of Writing
by Michael KnowlesI have always believed that writing is as crucial to my life as water. There is no other occupation for me. So I practice it daily, honing my craft and, in so doing, finding the art that waits beneath the folds of words. I confess I'm waxing poetic. But for me, it isn't just knowledge of the subject that separates a fair writer from a good one. It's fluidity of writing. You know what I mean, too. You've read documents that left you shaking your head over how badly written they were. And you've read documents that left you smiling in admiration. What's the secret to fluidity in writing? And how do you put it into your work? Step 1: Practice Makes PerfectAs with anything you want to be good at, you must practice to develop fluidity. It doesn't happen all by itself. Whether you write fiction or data sheets, your writing skills will benefit immeasurably from simple free writing practice. Here's how to do it: Sit down in a comfortable spot with your favorite writing implement. Some people prefer keyboards; others prefer a pen or pencil. It doesn't matter which you use. (I began this article, for instance, in pencil and shifted it to my Palm m515 and keyboard.) Now: Write the first word that comes to your mind. Don't struggle with this. It isn't rocket science, and it doesn't matter what the word is. Now you simply play word association. Write the next word, and then another, and another. At some point, your writing mind will kick in and start creating sentences. It's amazing, and it works. Yet I watch people struggle with this exercise every time. Struggle comes from trying too hard. It's that simple. And the practice itself helps to release you from that struggle. Does this sort of practice really help in business and technical writing? Without a doubt. Step 2: Write About Different SubjectsFluidity of writing also comes from practicing in different styles of writing. For example, my fiction writing -- and particularly my poetry -- have benefited from my 25 years of business and technical writing. How's that? Poetry is an art that benefits from brevity. It is as concise a form of writing as any technical procedure or sales letter. Its beauty comes from the use of just the right words in just the right places. I learned that from the practice of technical writing. And the converse is also true. From the practice of fiction I learned about layering complex technical documents, starting with the outside of a subject and working in -- just as the main character for my detective novel work from the outside in to solve a murder. It really doesn't matter what sort of "other" writing you choose to do. It could be travelogues, science fiction, weblogs, or simple journaling. Whatever you pick, do it regularly and all of your written work will show the difference. Step 3: Fire the Internal EditorThe time has come, the writer said, to talk of many things. Such as banning your internal editor during the composition phase of whatever you're writing. If there was one thing I could leave with you now, it would be the skill of holding that little bugger off until you've finished your first draft. The internal editor is the one that makes you anguish over word choice, or misspellings, or bad grammar. Fie on the internal editor! Your time will be much better spent in letting the words flow. So let go of the editor for now; then, when the time for editing comes, put the flowing writer away for a bit and let your editor go. Your writing will get better as a result, and you'll probably find that your productivity will skyrocket. Go now, and let your keys flit across the keyboard. May your pens be mighty, and may your writing inspire and educate! Copyright (c) 2002 by Michael Knowles. All Rights Reserved. | 
