Elements of Writing

What are the elements of writing?

This question came to me as I sat in an art class. My teacher, a little woman with yellowing teeth and thinning grey hair, was lecturing on the elements of art. With a passion in her frail voice she told us how texture, material, lines, perspective, and symbolism are all used by the artist to portray something to the viewer, be it just a beautiful painting or some underlying message. 

Now I have always considered art and writing to be very close. They are both lifestyles and art-forms that seek to express or capture something, some ideal, some beautiful thing. Indeed, it can be said that writing uses symbolism and perspective and even material/texture in the format used or the book cover.

So are those the elements of writing? Does writing only possess symbolism, perspective, and material as its elements? I say, "no!"

There is something else, even though these things are indeed necessary and helpful in both writing and art, that is behind writing. This thing is emotion. No matter how precise we get with what we use in writings, writing in itself is dry without emotion. Humanity connects with humanity.

A reader, or in the case of painting, a viewer, can feel what the writer/artist puts into a piece of work. They can touch and be touched by that piece of soul any truly creative person puts into their work. This soul element is the most important, indeed it is the fundamental, element in writing. 

Ireland Bound

Writers are scholars.  And I, Joshua A. Spotts, will be heading to Ireland, land of saints and scholars. I have one goal for my writing while over there: Inspiration.

But beside inspiration, I will be studying. And yet, studying and inspiration I would say go hand in hand. Because what is inspiration if not thoughts? And what is studying if not the formulation of thoughts?

Already I have been developing several Irish based book just via the geographical and language research I have conducted.

I will be posting pictures of Ireland and possibly Scotland during my time overseas. I'll also post speculations as they come to mind and I have spent some time pondering them by the Irish Sea.

3 Reasons for Editing

In the writing process there are two stepping stones to get across the river of success.

The first stone is what many call "writing." It is the act of putting words to page. It is the act of crafting something. Many writers would prefer to step on this stone and then leap across the river. But when they land, they sink into the mud, creating a mess, and going nowhere further.

The second stone is editing. It is the act of refining. The writers who step on this stone are able to make a graceful departure onto the river's opposite bank and just keep going.

Here are three specific reasons why editing helps writers keep going toward success instead of sinking down in the mud.

1.  Editing makes your work shiny for the publishers', reviewers', and editors' eyes. Thoroughly edited writing attracts the eye, helping you get noticed.

2. Editing makes your work flow. Editing shows the shallow points of a character. It shows plot holes. And unless a mistake is shown and recognized, it cannot be fixed.

3. Editing teaches you. I know from experience that I learn from editorial comments. When I correct mistakes that editing has found, I learn not to make those mistakes again. The less mistakes made in the initial writing process, the easier editing is. But, I will warn you, editing never becomes unnecessary.