{William Cerf's Creativity Journal 

Drafting - A Bit Like Making A Stew

So, I decide I want to make a stew. What do I dew? What to put into that stew? What will engage the reader?  What question is this paper attempting to address?

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Eventually, after tossing, turning, churning and even talking to the professor or one of my cohorts I get an idea – finally! This is my third semester of doctoral writing and I figured out what an old friend of mine who was a writer told me back in the olden days when people did their drafts on long sheets of yellow paper. “Writing is all about putting seat of pants into seat of chair, pen in hand which is on the paper. Then just start.” That’s what I do, although I’ve changed the saying slightly – fingers on keyboard rather than pen in hand.  I’ve given up the notion that I have to have anything resembling perfection on that first draft. I usually write for a bit, then drop it and often take a very long nap. I just let the material stew in my mind. Then I write some more. After that I contact the Writing Center.

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Thank Goddess for the Writing Center at Union Institute & University –

Eric, Shannon, Kathryn and Kristin have gently prodded me with suggestions, sent me tips and generally been enormously encouraging. I usually try to have at least two sessions with the Writing Center. After getting feedback from others I go at it again until I’m either totally thrilled with my wonderful written creation, can at least tolerate it or even if I’m totally discombobulated and think I’ve just written the worst piece of tripe imaginable – finally, FINALLY I just hit the SUBMIT button and let go. Let Go and Let God.

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My life is not yet finished – it is perpetually in DRAFT form.