Abandoning Linear Writing

One of the best things about reading the first two chapters of Writing Without Teachers was that I had the rare opportunity of being able to almost wholly agree with and relate to the thoughts about writing Elbow put on the page. The “conventional” model of writing he discussed, in which writers self-edit as they are in the process of writing, typified my experience as a student writer. I’ve always been representative of the writers who while preparing to jot down one sentence are already thinking of how it sounds wrong. In my papers, I immediately begin to dissect my sentences as I create them, taking out words or phrases and continuously replacing them in order to try to improve my thoughts and the clarity of my ideas. So it ends up that, even before I’ve actually written anything on the page, I’ve probably wasted at least 15 minutes struggling to figure out how to write that crucial introduction and the all-too-important, attention-grabbing first sentence (which, nine times out of ten, ends up being mediocre anyway).

From an early age, meaning about 2nd/3rd grade, I learned that papers generally follow the formula: introduction, body, conclusion. Start at the beginning and finish at the end. Like Elbow said, we’re taught to write linearly. This rigid structure became ingrained in my writing style and I still normally follow it today. It’s tended to work for me, but really reflecting on this now, I realize I’ve probably wasted a lot of valuable time by not using the innovative freewriting technique.

As I mentioned previously, I’m the type of person Elbow described as one who spends a whole frustrating hour trying to compose the first few paragraphs of a paper, the one who knows time is ticking by while I’m staring off into space attempting to work out the order of my words and thoughts and the brilliant way to convey them. Consequently, after spending all that time and effort in self-editing, I usually shut down at the prospect of having additional editing done by myself, a teacher, or a peer. This can be my downfall. I’ve heard it over and over again that papers typically need several drafts in order to get anything worthwhile out of them. But to my own detriment, I end up being a one/two draft kind of writer; my absolute best work, therefore, is never in the final product. I want this to stop. I want to be a better writer. I’ve never done freewriting exercises on my own, but I think I’m going to give it a go. I want to test Elbow’s theories and advice out, lose that sense of control I usually cling to in writing, and see if writing four drafts in four hours isn’t much easier and more gratifying than producing one drawn out first draft in the same time allotted. My aim is to grow as a writer. And I figure, even if Elbow’s methods don’t end up being the right fit for me, I’m certain there will be something cathartic in getting the “word vomit” out of my head and onto the page.