Write fast to write better

Right from the beginning

In my former post, dear Theopholoi, I suggested that the essay process is spiral like fusilli and not linear like spaghetti. I suggested starting any research with a circular process of thinking, researching, outlining, writing, and repeating that process till you gain clarity or must write.

In this post, I focus on the writing aspect.

You write a lot of essays at College, so let me share something I wish I’d known at College:

• Write from the beginning.

• Write before you are ready.

• Write before you have a clear answer.

• Write even if you think you are writing rubbish.

• Write your answer briefly and often, and expect to throw it away.

Write to think

By writing early you are writing stuff that is not very good, and that is good.

It is not a failure to write a paragraph you throw out. It helps to clarify your thinking. It keeps you thinking through your questions while you read and think. It is an investment that leads to clearer thinking sooner, and better answers in the end.

This is writing to think.

So, you have a looming essay to write? Write as early as you can. Not the whole essay, just your whole answer in a paragraph. It will probably not be very good, but it will be a start, and it will get you thinking earlier and better.

You will also find out where you are strong, and where you need further research.

Repeat this process often. It will sharpen your thinking and your answer.

Talk it out

Research continually shows that one of the best ways to learn and understand something is to explain it to others. It’s a great way to think things through, including essay questions.

So there are also benefits to talking through your essay question with a friend or two. Get them to explain their answer until you clearly understand it. Ask them questions. Point out where they are unclear. Affirm what is convincing and well done. Push them on in love. We value Learning in Community at Moore, and we need it. This will help your sister or brother to write a better essay, and it will help you. (Of course, only do this with a friend who is answering a different essay question from yours.)

Think it through slowly

Good thinking takes time. It takes concentration, contemplation, and imagination. It takes training and mentoring. It takes practice. It is often slow.

College is a busy time, with life, classes, assignments, service teams, ministry commitments, friends or family, sleep and health. You don’t have lots of time to stroll through quiet places in Sydney Uni, Parramatta Park, or the back roads of Croydon, slowly contemplating the things of God. But you can make some reflective time. It will help clear your head, invigorate your body, relax your mind, and save you from trying to think when your brain is in a fog.

Don’t let the rush of College and our busy screen-filled lives kill off meditating on Scripture or thinking through the things of God (including good essay questions). The saints of old practised and profited much from taking time to meditate on Scripture and ‘the things of God.’ So, turn off your phone. Shut down your computer. Lean back in your chair or go for a quick walk in the sun. Take five minutes or fifty. Focus and ponder the big picture of your essay or a Bible passage. Think through some tangents and implications. That slow thinking can yield invaluable insights and questions.

Yes, it is hard to make that time, but fight for it; it’s worth fighting for.

Write now; polish later

I have had to learn a new skill these last few years: Writing fast and imperfectly.

I used to write slowly because I wrote so close to the deadline that my first draft had to be my final draft. I hadn’t learned that writing is a circular process, and I didn’t know the benefits of writing to think.

But when you write to think, don’t waste time writing polished prose you’ll likely delete. Just write it to help you think. Polish later what you don’t delete.

Professional journalists write hundreds of words daily, but they don’t write them ready to publish. They have sub-editors to trim it and smooth it.

Be wise and learn from others: Resist the urge to write final drafts the first time. Write quickly now to think. Pretty it up later. You’ll write better and think better, and you might even save time.

Note from my first draft: I really don’t like what I’ve just written. It is currently wordy and repetitive. But I’ll have to go back and tidy that up tomorrow.

Note from my later draft: This was pretty rough. It took time to rewrite it. But that forced me to make it clearer and more focused. I could never have done this in a single writing session.

The end of the matter

Write it. And the next day or next time, toss that out and write it again. And the next day.

Write it fast. You can make it into good writing later.