Sunday, October 21, 2007

Writing/thinking breakthrough!

I'm two thirds of the way through the writing of this conference paper, which means I've already exceeded my goal for the weekend - hurrah!

But, more importantly, I've had a breakthrough! A breakthrough in my thinking. Because my writing process is quite open, I never know quite what's going to come of it. Sometimes that's a bad thing - ideas that come to me have a contingency to them that means they won't easily be made into a foundation for...anything. But yesterday and now, this morning, I've had a breakthrough that shows me my entire larger project in a new way. That has foundations, that connects to and intervenes in very important, I think, ways in the field (whatever the field is!). What a great feeling that is. Back I go!

4 comments:

medieval woman said...

Oh god - that's SO great!!! Yay Hilaire!!!

((hugs to you))

squadratomagico said...

Woo hoo! Yay, Hilaire!

gwoertendyke said...

this is uncanny: i'm speaking to a group of new grad students this week (like a pro-seminar visit) on the writing process. i was just writing about writing and thinking that at base, what all writers i know share, is the invisible work of writing--the thought that goes into it which before you identify it as such, makes you berate yourself for.not.writing--after that, writing becomes idiosyncratic, i think. for me, it is a very open/creative endeavor.

i'm glad you broke through. i'm writing this to avoid my own proposal writing right now:)

Hilaire said...

Yes, so idiosyncratic! This is why I feel immune to formalized writing strategies, advice books. It's so freaking personal. Nothing works except to just sit it out and see what happens.