Welcome to the Writer’s Column of February 2004. A sweet and short month filled with promises of love, honesty and perseverance, the three ingredients necessary to maintain a status quo when it comes to writing. You must love to write, be willing to be honest with yourself and have the patients of a saint to continue the writing journey.

I often struggle with areas in my writing. I must like the struggle because everyday I sit right back at the computer and write away. It’s a determination of will that I am not giving up so easily! Some days the words flow so nicely, and others days are just mediocre or pathetic attempts of which I refer to as brain thugs. Writing always calls for a case of fine tuning the certain elements to keep the balance. I’ve learned this the hard way! Just when I think I have mastered the skill, something new is introduced and a rewrite requisition is in order!

Within my range and scope of what it is I am actually trying to accomplish here, I feel like I have set up mini departments of my own within my office area. I have the initial drafting room, where Me the creator types and writes up the first draft using my own ideas. The draft then goes to the operations room where it is looked over carefully with scrutiny and treated for typos, grammar checks, anything poisonous or tainted that must be removed. From there it goes to the self-editing department and is cleaned and brushed up upon to enhance each structured area making sure that the piece of writing is strong enough to stand on its own and is healed from any deficiencies. Then there is the rewrite department, which happens to be the largest department of all in my office space.

It is the rewrite department where the talents and hard work pay off and it is here where patients are truly tried for perseverance, and above all honesty. But most of all it is here where the writer is called upon to test their true love of writing. You must love to write and be prepared to rewrite if necessary. It’s all part of the process.

So now that I have created my own little hospital or rehabilitation center for my works in progress, I have come to the conclusion that in fact, if I don’t work on these babies each and every day, honing the craft, they will never grow and become strong, ready for the real world. And the best part is if they get rejected in the real world, they can always come home to the rewrite department and stay for as long as they like until they are ready to go out and venture again!

A lot of tender loving care goes into this plan of action. This process I have created within my own mind has helped me to strengthen weak areas in writing, while gaining more knowledge, and accepting diversity with style and has increased my confidence levels. I am learning my pace and voice deep within and that all good things can come to those who wait patiently. I have taken a slower approach with my writing, carefully stepping back and taking a view of where I have been, where I am now and where I would like to be in the future. Life is great and so is writing!

What inspires your desire to write? Do you have a writing experience that you would like would like to share with us? Contact Pamela at newjerseygirl@iglide.net and tell us.

Thank you for stopping by the Writer’s Column section of Women on Writing ezine. Please don’t hesitate to browse around.

Bio: Pamela Jannarone is a writing mom from New Jersey and staff writer for the WomenonWriting.com ezine (www.womenonwriting.com) - The Writer’s Column and Writer’s Tips sections.

The Writers Column Archive 2004

The Writers Column Archive 2003