I’ve spent the past few days packing for a trip back to the U.S. to see our parents after almost 2 1/2 years. It’s been such a long time since we’ve traveled that the process of packing has been a bit overwhelming. I’m definitely feeling out of practice!
The picture at the top of this post was from our last trip: a two-week bike ride along the Elbe River in Germany. Preparing for bicycle touring means packing as minimally as possible. But even though I can take more luggage with me on a plane than on a bike, the process is very similar.
In fact, I think that getting ready to go on a trip is very much like preparing to write. Rather than just throwing clothes in bag or words on a page, following a process can help make the experience easier. And the more you practice, the quicker and easier it becomes!
I tend to pack in “drafts,” just like when I write. I first start thinking about what to bring weeks in advance. I begin making lists and writing notes to myself. My first pack is a “brainstorm” session: I throw all the possibilities out on the bed, see how much is there and then start putting away what doesn’t seem important. When I can’t decide whether to take that extra sweater or another pair of shoes, I set everything aside for a few days so I can think about it. Then I’ll usually wake up in the middle of the night, think of something else to add or remove, and edit a little bit more.
I usually keep packing up until my “deadline” of walking out the door, often double-checking (or “proofreading”) that I haven’t left out anything important.
In writing, this method is called the Process Approach. There are several variations, but for me it looks like:
- think
- organize
- draft
- revise
- edit
Some of these may seem obvious (uh…”think”?) but there’s actually a lot more involved. For example, THINK includes considering your Role, Audience, Format and Thesis (see this past post for more about RAFT).
ORGANIZE may look like an outline, a mindmap or simply following a template like SEA (situation, explanation, action) or STAR (situation, task, action, result).
Making a first or rough DRAFT is (in my opinion) the most important part of the writing process. It’s the dress rehearsal or practice for your finished product. In “Shitty First Drafts” the very wise writer Ann Lamott says, “You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something — anything — down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft — you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft — you fix it up.”
“You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something —anything — down on paper. A friend of
Ann Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts” in Bird by Bird
mine says that the first draft is the down draft — you just get it down. The second
draft is the up draft — you fix it up.”
After your first draft is ready, the real work begins as you REVISE. This step is more than just checking your grammar and spelling. You also want to check your ideas and organization.
- Is your main message clear?
- Are your ideas organized and explained clearly?
- Do you have transition and signal words to guide your reader?
- Are your examples “showing” instead of “telling”?
- Have you activated and verbified your sentences?
And finally, once your ideas, examples, and organization are clear and clutter-free, you can proofread and do your final EDIT. If the text you’re writing is important, always ask someone else to review it. Otherwise, I highly recommend the free Grammarly browser extension.
Ultimately, using the Process Approach can re-train your brain to become a more efficient and organized writer and self-editor. And the more you practice this approach, the quicker and easier it will be each time you sit down to write.
So…do you pack like you write? Are you a minimalist, bringing just the essentials with you? Or do you throw everything in a big suitcase and bring all the possibilities? How do you “edit” your luggage and your writing?