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It’s strange but writers of fiction seem to be of two schools … the sit down and write and what you get is wonderful (aka the HIGH ART school of writing), and the plan it out to the n’th degree school.
The first group think of writing as High Art … and high art shouldn’t be limited by craft. Like painting it is the creativity of the artist that matters. What they forget is that the great artists were craftsmen first … who often spent decades developing their craft … long before they were arttists.
On the other hand, there is a group of writers (mystery writers usually) who look at what they do as a craft. And their craft requires that they plan every step out before they start to write. In fact some of them create network diagrams (what is happening to who vs when) which rival some of the most complex projects I’ve worked on.
So where’s the truth?
With fiction it belongs between the two … there is something to be said for stream of consciousness writing and also there is a need for writing to a plan.
In non-fiction those rules don’t really belong.
In non-fiction there is only one valid answer. You are writing to your readers’ need for information. Creativity comes in determining how you identify that need, how you fulfill that need and how you fill in the holes (the English as it were). Between those points you need to be very clear and very organized … planned in detail. Why? Because unlike fiction where the journey and the words matter, in non-fiction it is the ideas and information that matter.
Remember the cod – fish!
Have Fun! Keep Learning! And Get Earning!
Glen
