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Simmering and swooping: Creative steps before writing

Nurse Author & Editor, Fall 2001 by O'Connor, Andrea B

Some authors find they need to let their ideas "simmer" before writing, while others find they have to "swoop" around the office before they are ready to write. You are likely to find that you use one or both techniques to organize your

ideas or work area before a successful writing session.

Every serious writer has experienced periods when the creative flow abruptly halts. No ideas come forth or, at least, none that seem worth expressing and confidence plunges. An initial reluctance to sit down at the desk or word processor and write quickly develops into something akin to aversion. The wall between writer and words grows higher and thicker. It seems as if there is no hope for salvaging the situation. The run of words has ended.

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The usual advice to writers caught in this downward spiral is to write through the block, and this works, usually. The discipline of putting pen to paper-or fingers to keyboard-somehow puts a crack in the wall, which eventually tumbles down as the writer moves more and more confidently into the writing. All is well; the crisis has passed.

However, writers experience other sensations related to their work. One such sensation is "simmering"; the other is "swooping." They are both essential steps in preparing for the creative task of writing. See if these are familiar to you.

Simmering

"Simmering" is signaled by an intense compulsion to do whatever task the writer usually avoids most vigorously. Deferred spring cleaning and hand-waxing the family car come immediately to mind, as do sorting through drawers that have languished for months or tackling the stack of ironing that threatens to topple at any moment. For outdoor people, weeding a neglected garden or clearing out the garage become essential tasks that must be accomplished immediately.

It seems that anything and everything is competing for the writer's attention, but a careful examination of these compulsions reveals their commonality: all involve repetitive, physical labor that is relatively (but not entirely) mindless. A certain degree of attention to the task is called for, but the mind is free to wander while the hands work through the job. During this simmering, creative ideas often surface.

Some writers report a simmering experience that precedes any substantial writing chore. For most writers, however, the compulsions associated with "simmering" tend to arise in the midst of a serious writing project. The groundwork has been laid, and the project usually is off to a good start. The writer has a sense of the next steps to be accomplished, as well as a feel for how the work might be shaped. It's just a matter of sitting down to do the writing. Then the simmering sets in.

Now a normal person would simply despair, and the writer's usual response is an audible groan and a stoic effort to push off the compulsion and get back to the work of writing. But the attentive writer who has given in to the urge to clean or iron or weed will find that there is, rippling on the edges of a daydream, the unfolding of the perfect solution to the work in progress.

Like a pot of soup over the low flame on the back burner of the kitchen stove, creativity needs time to simmer in order for the flavors to blend and the richness of the broth to develop. Rush into the writing task, and the ephemeral process of creativity-once interrupted-- will retreat, again eluding consciousness. Allow it to simmer as you complete your compulsive organizing, and your return to the desk will be rewarded with a resumption of the creative flow.

Swooping

"Swooping" is another matter. This phenomenon is more frequently encountered at the start of a new project. Unlike "simmering," which takes the writer away from the desk or computer, "swooping" involves work-area habits.

The research is done; the outline established. Notes are carefully organized in a file folder; reference works are near at hand. The desk is cleared of clutter and one sits down to begin.

Ah, but first a fine point is needed on each of those pencils arrayed so neatly in their special jug. Align the note pads on the desktop, and place extras within easy reach. Adjust the brightness of the computer screen. Load a new stack of paper in the printer and replace the ink carfridge. Pour a cup of coffee. Settle in. Ah, one moment, please! Adjust the lighting just so, crack the window for a gentle breeze.

Going on With Writing

Step back a moment, and you will notice that you have completed a series of ever-tightening, concentric approaches to your writing place-very much like a bird, swooping in on its prey-as you prepare to alight upon the project. Interrupt the process, and you are doomed to failure. Allow the simmering and swooping to proceed, and you and your writing will soon fall into place and the creative work of writing will truly begin.

Andrea B. O'Connor, EdD, JD, RN

Author Background

Andrea B. O'Connor, EdD, JD, RN, is Professor and Coordinator of the Master of Science in Nursing Program at Western Connecticut State University, Danbury. She also maintains a part-time law practice in the area of elder law.

Health Care Industry

Simmering and swooping: Creative steps before writing

Nurse Author & Editor, Fall 2001 by O'Connor, Andrea B

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