Thinking and Telling

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

Because George missed his queue to come onstage, I got rattled and missed my next line.

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Today I’m going to tackle one big guideline for writers: Don’t confuse thinking with telling. They’re not the same thing.

Thinking on paper can look like telling. There are lots of words, many ideas, tons of examples. You’re scribbling or typing very fast. But you’re not writing for an audience…yet. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that your audience is you.

People often get thinking and telling mixed up. I do it all the time. I’ll be rattling away excitedly about some idea that has just grabbed me. Suddenly my husband (or someone else who loves me) puts up a hand and says, “Stop! What are you talking about?”

And it hits me: I was talking to clarify my thinking for myself, rather than the person who’s listening.

Writing has (or should have) two clear-cut stages: Thinking and telling. Don’t even attempt to present your thoughts to a reader until you’ve thoroughly explored them. That often requires research, and it ALWAYS involves a first draft.

I’m convinced that many of the weak student essays I’ve read over the years are the result of the same mistake. Ideas – facts – opinions pour onto a piece of paper. The student is overjoyed. I’m writing! I have something to say!

Wrong. You’re preparing to write.

Here are some signs that you’re in the discovery phase:

You’re surprised by some of the things coming you’re saying or writing
The topic is new to you
If someone asked you to summarize your point in a single sentence, you wouldn’t know what to say
You have a pile of notecards in front of you that you’re trying to string together
You’re so busy thinking about your topic that you haven’t thought about your readers

Discoveries are a good thing! Write them all down. Explore your topic from every possible angle. Marshal all your examples. Then you can start shaping them for your readers (devising an opening strategy, organizing your supporting ideas, thinking about transitions and climaxes).

Think first, tell second: Simple advice that can make all the difference in your success as a writer.

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

My friend Jenna suggested today’s Instant Quiz – thank you, Jenna!

A queue is a line. The word you need today is cue (a signal to do something).

Because George missed his cue to come onstage, I got rattled and missed my next line.

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go