When you know the origin of a meal, you eat it without
trepidation, even in the midst of enemies.
One of the most precise instructions on writing – Kill your darlings – was given by Arthur Quiller-Couch. I agree with that assertion a thousand percent. As poets (and writers of other genres) we must learn to put ourselves out of the way of the story. We might be joined at the hip to a particular set of words but we ought to investigate whether there are other words (synonyms) or ways to better capture your poem (or writing). The ancient Greeks had a proverb – Know thyself. That summarizes the spirit that ought to be behind every human endeavor. No one on God's green earth knows you more than yourself. You ought to use that to your advantage when you are editing yourself. You ought to read the poem (or writing) out loud to check whether it flows or shows the mood you want to convey. You have to enjoy the process of preparing your work, the way a cook is immersed in the preparation of ingredients for a meal. You have to find the recipe that you like best and stick to it. That is how you stay relevant in any genre of writing. Kofi Awoonor advised that the writer tells the truth – honesty wakes the world up…As a writer, know yourself.
Good writers are good editors. First drafts are, more likely than not, like disheveled hair. You need take them to the barber shop of editing. One rule of editing is to focus on being clear. In the administration of this rule, we cannot have favorite words or phrases. Everything is subject to editing. Where we develop the attitude of not getting in the way of editing, we give ourselves the space to grown into better poets and writers. It is extremely important to edit one's work, as much as one can, before a new set of eyes reads them. This positions us to better understand (or refute) any criticism or changes. Editing is like leaving the valley of words to stand on the mountain of clarity. The higher we are on that mountain, the smaller and precise our work becomes. Editing gives writing a needed sense of perspective.
Own a thesaurus. I have ran into several pieces that betrayed the poet's lack of flexibility with word choice. If you do not have a thesaurus, please get one. If you cannot afford it, use the Internet to access the many online thesauruses out there. A thesaurus is like a writing assistant who, in our moment of doubt on a word, whispers several alternatives for that word into our ears. A thesaurus comes in handy, especially, during times of editing. Poets and writers should make it habit to consult with one on a regular basis.
Own a dictionary. Now if you do not have a dictionary, I ought to have you arrested for fraud. (Hey, I'm just joking). A writer without a dictionary is like a one-legged man without his clutches. Since we deal with words for a living, we need to have a dictionary besides us so we can spell our words right. There are many poets and writers who have realized, especially when it was too late, how undependable the Spell Check feature is. The best ritual to have while writing is to have a physical dictionary at our side. One that we can quickly reach for while writing or editing. Once again, the Internet has a lot of dictionaries like this one.
Get a notebook (hard copy or electronic) in which you play around with phrases. Develop writing exercises with phrases you make up. Move words here and there to check on how meaning is either muddled or clarified. It is a good practice to keep such phrases in a notebook set aside for random thought. I can tell you that one days when I had writer's block, it was my phrase notebook that kick-starts my creativity. There are times when a sentence, phrase or, even a stanza drops in one's head at very odd moments. A handy pocket book will save those thoughts for latter use.
Get a group of writers who share your goals. It has been noted that writers who belong to small support groups are able to produce a lot of quality work. For example, great writers, such as C.S Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien were part of a writer's collaborative called the Inklings. This idea is even touted among the other disciplines. Collaboration, instead of competition, is the best way to ensure quality and (ironically!) discover individuality. Artists such as Cezanne and Van Gogh, belonged to a group (the Post Impressionists) that supported their ideologies of art, at the time when the art world did not care for their works. The support system gave those artists the fuel to produce more and more. Now the work of those artists is worth millions of dollars. The support, criticism and community of such groups can be the impetus for a great stretch of writing. I was a member of a local poetry group in the city I live in. We met on the second Sunday of every month. I always looked forward to that 2 hour meeting because I gained invaluable insights on my works. What we did was quite simple: every one brought in a poem or two to read. Copies of the poem(s) were passed around to everyone in the meeting before the poets read. Instead of verbally criticizing on a poem, fellow poets wrote what they liked or disliked about the poems(s) on the copies they had. I can tell you that I was able to complete ten books of poetry based on the inspirations I got from this group. Such a model should be the norm among Ghanaian poets and writers. Of course, such groups are founded on trust. Plagiarism was not allowed in the group I was in. Everyone at our meeting was serious about his/her art. We were there to support each other. Presently, there is a collaborative project called #CommunalPoemExperiment on Facebook. It is premised on the idea of having poets come together to create a poem. It is a thriving idea. Feel free to join if you are on Facebook.
Aim to write about 120 poems a year (That's 10 poems a month). For writers, I would say one short story a month is a good goal to aim for. The reason behind this point is that a year's work should be an anthology waiting to be published. It is important to work hard in these times of relative obscurity so that whenever we intersect with opportunity, we can feed its demands. Like any human activity of worth, writing demands diligence. You cannot wing it. Thinking that only talent will do is a state of wishful thinking. You must work hard with your skill sets by having an attitude of constant creativity and curiosity. I have intersected with a lot of poets and writers who want to be famous but are not willing to put in the work. If you claim to be a poet or writer, you should be able to have a portfolio of works or produce them on short notice.
Believe in yourself but be ever ready to learn new ways of writing. Orison Swett Marden stated that, the best educated people are those who are always learning, always absorbing knowledge from every possible source and at every opportunity. Being open to novel ways of doing things is an asset to any poet or writer. It is not unoriginal to learn something new. As poets and writers, it should be one of our goals to constantly enhance our skill sets by challenging ourselves through experimentation.
In one of his many literary lectures, Chinua Achebe said nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me, but who I am - and what I need - is something I have to find out myself. It is imperative be circumspect of strengths and weakness and be ready to work on them. In the end, we harvest the things we planted in our own fields of writing. If we sow the wind, we shall reap the whirlwind. But if we commit to hard work and perseverance, we will not be disappointed.
No one will believe the person
who does not believe in him/herself. You need to believe in your work
enough to edit it.
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