You know that moment when you’re standing in line at the
grocery store and you’re about ready to lose your cool; it’s late, you worked
this morning, had two classes, raced through the grocery store and blindly picked
out food for the week to avoid the line, still have to finish a paper due
tomorrow, and the person in front of you is moving at a snail’s pace – moving
one item from the cart to the counter at a time. This is the express lane. Let’s MOVE IT.
If you think about, the two to three minutes you are
actually delayed has very little impact on your overall day. It’s more the feeling of slowing down and wasting time than the actual snail-like
pace of your fellow grocery store patron.
What’s more, you are the one who allowed yourself to get all worked up
over a box of cereal, three oranges, and a loaf of bread.
Writing a paper can work in the same way. There’s often a feeling of urgency when you
write a paper. This has to get done NOW. Your to-do list has 12 items and this is only
number eight. Why can you clearly
imagine the mucousy trail left behind the opalescent spiral shell of this snail
slurping along the white and gray matter of your brain, but not define for yourself
a succinct and powerful thesis? WHY?
You’ve given up on patience, chucked it out the window and
replaced it with a brown bag and a little hyperventilating. Writing is a process; something that takes
time to work through, whether you are an outline, rough draft, revision writer,
or a just-get-it-all-down-and-look-at-it-when-it’s-done writer. Slow down, let your thoughts congeal and your
fingers convey. Don’t let your negative
Nancy feelings rush and overwhelm you.
Practice patience.
A great reminder for all writers, Emma. Love that mental image of the slurping snail!
ReplyDelete- Anne Shiell, writing instructor and coordinator of social media resources, Walden University Writing Center