Time Capsules

Writing about Writing

Hello, dear readers and writers.

This week’s writing virtual workshop is all about writing, and how challenging and rewarding it can be.

I have practiced the art of writing long enough to know that the struggles and the moments of triumph are part of the creative (and emotional) process. And one issue that comes up again and again is the imposter syndrome. I have worked with thousands of writers in my long career as a teacher, and even workshop participants who have published books have told me, “I’m not really a writer.” Pat Schneider always said, “A writer is someone who writes,” but I tweaked that a bit and added, “A writer is someone who wants to write.” Trust me: as a college writing instructor, who has taught required essay writing courses for two decades, not everyone wants to write.

I’ll get into that more with this week’s prompt, but first, let’s address the imposter syndrome with a wise quote from Julia Cameron, whose book, The Artist’s Way, originally published in 1992, was groundbreaking for those of us who want to write.

All writers suffer credibility attacks; learning to ignore them is part of surviving as a writer. Based on the idea that writing is product, not process, the credibility attack wants to know just what credits you've amassed lately. The mere act of writing, the fact of which makes you a writer, counts for nothing with this monster. Writing for the love of writing, the sheer act of writing, is the only antidote for the poison of credibility attacks—and the antidote is short-lived and must be readministered.

Because so many of the writers I work with suffer “credibility attacks,” we sometimes write about writing. This may sound a bit too meta for some of you, but give it a try: it often leads to some wonderful insights, and occasionally, as in my piece below, it cracks open a memory that leads us toward a profound truth.

So this week’s prompt is a series of quotes from college students, who were asked if they liked to write (and why or why not). Their answers range from the familiar to the poetic, and even after all these years, they still surprise and delight me.

Read their responses below, and write in response for 20 minutes. If you feel stuck, ask yourself the same question: Do you like to write? Why or why not? Either way, write about writing (or not writing) as a way in.

What I wrote is below, followed by a beautiful poem about teaching by Dante Di Stefano, which could also be a wonderful prompt all by itself.