PROCESS VS. CRAFT

There is a significant difference between the Craft of Writing and an individual writer’s Process.

If you consider any athletic endeavor, there is an awareness of the structure of the competition, the so-called Xs and Os, perhaps even the history of the sport and its evolution. Offense and defense. Pitching and hitting. Physical conditioning. That, to me, is the craft.

Each athlete, however, goes through a different regimen in order to achieve whatever level of success is available to them. There are well-known stories of Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs who notoriously ate nothing but chicken during the baseball season. Tom Brady’s culinary peculiarities seem something well beyond the scope (and perhaps dedication) of other football players. This is understandably their process.

For my last five books, I have been working with the same editor through my publisher, The Wild Rose Press. Though we have never met face to face, I know her quite well on a personal level as we have shared stories and anecdotes about our respective lives. Her guidance has been nothing short of miraculous in terms of helping a pretty decent writer mold a good tale with some strong dialogue into well-constructed books, the kind that are necessary in a burgeoning market.

Nearly thirty years ago, I was associated with a wide variety of very intelligent and conscientious poets whose styles influenced me, We were able to discuss at length our beliefs of how a poem should function and what it’s ultimate impact should be. None of them were educators but rather artists intensely immersed in verse.

My college education was in film-making with emphasis on screen writing. The visual aspects were always of prime concern when making a movie. With regard to the writing, however, character development and the flow of the story were vastly more important. I had enough classes to understand that.

So, for better than 40 years, I have taken special note of the Craft of Writing as it related to each discipline I attempted. How I went about putting all of that to use relates to personal circumstances, lifestyles, living arrangements, and relationships as just about anything else.

I enjoy reading of the methods and rituals of famous writers of the past. Early on, I thought those were the guidelines without once considering what Faulkner was doing at the time or who Hemingway might have been married to. For the majority of his adult life, Cornell Woolrich lived in hotels with his mother. It finally occurred to me these are anecdotes and nothing more.

I have not been in a position to declare I will wake up at a certain time, write for so many hours, and then start my so-called normal day. I am currently employed full-time, as I have been for the better part of my adult life. I am married to a wife who encourages my endeavors. Beyond the love provided there is the understanding I have responsibilities that demand attention.

As I get older, staying up late is no longer an option nor a desire. Time is a mitigating factor in contemplating any creative process. I don’t listen to music when I write as I know many writers do. I don’t have a special wardrobe that magically invites inspiration. I do, however, prefer to be in a room filled with books, which is why I don’t grab my laptop and head to the local coffeehouse.

All of these minor details, like the description of a character, go into the process that I have been a part of for a decidedly long time. Perhaps an hour or two of an evening. Casual writing does not require the office door to be closed; intense writing does. I tolerate interruptions but they are rare because of the understanding I will be “in the office” after dinner.

I try to wrap up with enough time to decompress from the day, both the employment part and the intensity of the creative part. It is akin to an ancient Sybil immersing myself in the depths of some deep trance, then slowly working my way back to consciousness. Departing is enlightening; returning is necessary.

The room, the time of day, the door open or shut – none of that relates to creating dialogue or character development. Rather it is the ambience that is manifested through my own process which allows me to focus completely on the craft.

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My new book, The End of the Treachery, Volume 2 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released on December 9, 2024.