Why We Write
My online friend, Terry McDermott, asked me to continue a series on writing that is being passed from one writer to another. There are four basic questions you may find of interest if you are a writer or interested in the writing process.
Here are the questions and my answers:
1. What are you working on?
I have several projects in the works. I write posts for:
Midwest Mary, which covers every day issues;
Saint Theodora/Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, where I write about this wonderful saint and also repost from Doyle’s Delights;
Doyle’s Delights, which I write for ACTA Publications on what I find of interest in the books they offer; and
I also am working on two different books on the same topic. But it’s too early in the process to talk about them just yet.
2. What makes your work different from others’ work in the same genre?
My goal is to write in easy, digestible language on matters relevant to most of us. I try to keep everything positive but realistic and offer options and resolutions where possible.
3. Why do you write what you do?
I write on topics I want to know more about and think my readers do to. I search for credible research and offer it to the public in a clear, concise post or book. In the end, it is the post or book that I was hoping to find before I began writing.
4. How does your writing process work?
I begin my day in prayer, and one of the things I pray about is for the Holy Spirit to guide my writing.
Then I make notes in a running list of topics. Whether I’m writing a short piece or an entire book, I think of the project as a puzzle. I write out lists and fragments of thought, lay out all the pieces, and then begin fitting them together until I have the full picture.
I read and rewrite everything repeatedly, and I read the piece aloud at least once. We can usually hear if something is unclear or awkward even if we don’t see it.
Once I feel I’m ready to publish, I end in prayer. I ask that the right people get the right information in a way that is meaningful to them.
And now I tag two other writers I want to know more about and think you also will find of interest:
Seasonsgirl, on the seasons of life
Interesting Literature, about authors and famous works
(See Terry’s blog, 8 Kids and a Business, which centers on current issues important to Catholics today. )
©2014 Mary K. Doyle
http://8kidsandabusiness.wordpress.com/