I came across a blog yesterday that stated thinking isn’t writing. I have to respectfully disagree! First and foremost, everything is writing for a writer. Every experience you have, each thing you witness. Anything you learn from (or don’t if you’re stubborn). It all lends itself to your writing so all of it is writing.
When you are thinking about what to write, that is pre-writing. If you’re researching for a story, that is part of the writing process, therefore it too is writing. Writing isn’t simply putting pen to paper or your hands on the keyboard. If you didn’t do any thinking about your story, there would be nothing to writer. Now I know it’s possible to sit down with no plan in mind and write but whatever comes out of your head in that moment comes from something you saw, did, read or heard about, or maybe wish you did.
Imagine you were getting paid by the hour to write several stories/articles. Wouldn’t you charge for the time you were researching, editing, outlining etc? Of course you would, because it’s all part of writing!
Thinking may not be doing the physical act of writing, but without the thinking there would be no writing. That said, there comes a point when you have to put pen to paper or start typing what’s in your head.
To the girl who wrote the blog post about thinking, go ahead and write it out with a pen. It won’t waste as much time as you think and it might even help you to write in a way you’re unaccustomed to. Good luck!
Writerish Ramblings 
I agree, I read an article recently about a writer (I’ll suddenly remember who in the middle of the night) who said that he would regularly space out at the dinner table. His son would ask his mother what was wrong with daddy and she would reply ” He’s writing”.
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Reblogged this on Musings from a Novice Writer and commented:
I totally agree with the contents of this blog post, besides anything else, it provides me with an alibi for all the times I randomly zone out!
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I completely agree. I often zone out thinking about the story I am writing, sometimes in the shower, sometimes while driving, sometimes even at my day job (shh, don’t tell anyone!). If I have time I will take notes right away or I will dictate notes into my phone, which I write about – actually type into my laptop – later. It’s all part of writing!
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I agree too. Now, I just have to do the physical act of writing what I’m thinking about. 🙂
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I completely agree! What a great post. Love it!
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Definitely with you on this one! I find once the thinking is done, which can be the hard part, it can actually be quite easy to achieve the writing.
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I agree too! I’ve made the mistake recently of writing before I’ve really thought things through and now I’ve spent more time thinking as I’ve been doing the dishes, I’ve had to rewrite large chunks and now it leaves me feeling like I’m getting nowhere fast. I wholeheartedly believe thinking is a huge part of the process. X
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Having not read the article in question, I can’t know if this is where that author was going but what came to mind was this, think of the writer who spends their entire career researching, planning, plotting, talking about, and thinking about the novel they are going to write. If they don’t actually sit down and write that novel, have they actually written anything?
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In this case the author was complaining about needing a laptop and she didn’t want to write anything on paper just to turn around and type it up later.
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laughing. Wow.
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That makes me smile, as writing things on paper and then typing them out later is actually an integral part of my process and dealing with my Tolkienish tendencies. ^-^
Although, I remember a point where I thought that typing alone would be a much faster, and therefor better, way to go. Then I discovered that a blank notebook page is actually less intimidating than a blank word processing page! XD Also, pens are super awesome cause you never have to sharpen them.
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I love writing on paper. It just works for me. I’m capable of writing with a computer but it’s a different process and I don’t like it as much.
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Well said! Thinking is writing
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Agreed. I won’t even start physically writing until after I’ve worked out the basics of story and character. Putting it to paper is just fleshing out what’s already there.
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Reblogged this on Adventures in NaNoLand and commented:
As if we had any doubts… Think away and post those word counts!
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Reblogged this on The Well-Rounded Writer and commented:
My Writing:
50% Thinking; 10% Writing; 40% Trying to muster up the will power to edit and rewrite
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