Developing Your Own Theory of Writing

There are a lot of writing books and many theories of how you should do one thing or another. But there comes a time, after you've been practicing your craft for some years, that you need to develop your own theory of writing and its processes.

There used to be a tradition in craft guilds of someone progressing through the ranks as an apprentice, then journeyman, and finally as a master. The master took on apprentices to teach them the craft and to get inexpensive help. They hired journeymen to get more practiced aid but were still expected to pass things on.

When you teach, you solidify your own grasp of what you do, because suddenly you're forced to think it all through. The more conscious you are about what you do, the better you can do it, because you will notice what you might change to improve, what the best practices are, and so on.

So even if you aren't teaching anyone about writing, act as though you were. Work out the explanations so you can gain that greater degree of consciousness into your own work. You can always mentor people, answer questions on writing boards (though too seldom are they about craft), help newcomers, and otherwise give yourself a chance to communicate what you've come to intentionally understand.

The added benefit? When someone actually does ask you about writing problems, you'll be ready to answer.