The article I chose to analyze was written by Allegra
Goodman. She highlights the stress that writers face when they’re up against their
toughest critic: themselves! We’ve all heard the expression, “whether you tell
yourself you can or you can’t, you’re right.” Writer’s block is intensified
when the inner critic comes to call, which Goodman suggests, is around mostly
all of the time! She suggests that the best solution to this type of writer’s
block is to just concentrate on the writing itself. Don’t worry about what
people will think of your work in the long run. Don’t worry about if your novel
will be published. Don’t even worry about whether or not someone has written
about something similar in the past. Instead, lose track of time, write in a
trance, and hear only the characters in your head (Goodman 2001). When you fall
in love with your material, Goodman suggests, others will fall in love with it
too. Only allow positive thoughts to flow into your head while you write, and
your writing will come out positive. Turn to your photos, music, and dreams for
writing inspirations.
I completely agree with this author’s point of view. Instead
of being too critical about my writing, I try to just write. No matter how well
you write, there will always be room for improvement. The important part is to
take constructive criticism and use it to improve your material. Throughout
this course, I’ve learned a lot about the writer’s perspective in social media
environments. After all, the Internet has one of the widest audiences in all
publication channels! Writers may find that readers have a wide range of
opinions on their material. It’s hard to not let that criticism rush the writer’s
head and block creative juices. If a writer follows Goodman’s advice and falls
in love with their writing, it will be more engaging and exciting for readers. While
anyone can publish in a social media space, it’s increasingly important for
writer’s to cite their work. That’s definitely one of my major take-aways from
this course!
Reference
Goodman, A. (2001, March 12).
Calming the inner critic and getting to work. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2001%2F03%2F12%2Farts%2F12GOOD.html%3Fpagewanted%3D1
I really enjoyed your blog post, and it makes me want to go read this article because I love to write. Many times I get too caught up in wondering if people will actually like my writing to focus on it, though, and then I cannot write well. The advice that this article gave is great advice, although, it does seem to be easier said than done (Goodman, 2001). Is writing a hobby that you have? If so, are you often over critical of your writing like I am of mine?
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your idea that citations are extremely important, especially on the Internet (Kovach & Rosenstiel, 2010). The Internet contains so much information and so it is important for audiences to know where a person is getting their information. I definitely will take that from this course and use it in the future, as well.
Reference:
Goodman, A. (2001, March 12). Allegra Goodman: Calming the inner critic and getting to work. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/12/arts/12GOOD.html
Kovach, B. & Rosenstiel, T. (2010). Blur: How to know what’s true in the age of information overload. New York: Bloomsbury, USA.
Cathy, I completely agree with this article! I believe that one has to really and truly feel competent and confident in their writing before others will also take their material seriously. I know that the authors and artists that I look up to most are those who are very knowledgeable and confident in their field. It's easy to let criticism or comparison block one's ability to see one's self as successful or professional, but every individual has something creative and unique to offer. I have learned this throughout this term as we bounce ideas and viewpoints off each other!
ReplyDeleteYes, it is so hard to turn off the inner critic, to just let the words flow. I love Goodman's advice to enter a trancelike state where nothing matters but the words, and to just create. Revision is the point where the writer can wield the critical sword and cut what does not work, but I'm a firm believer that often that first pass can contain some nuggets of beauty that when expanded upon, can become works of art.
ReplyDelete