Post date: Mar 18, 2020 2:5:43 PM
I found the phrase, "Some Basic Tools and Gear" in a book I like a lot-- How to Survive in the Woods by Bradford Angier. It's a wilderness manual. While I don't hike or camp (Never have camped! Not proud of it, just full disclosure), the book is a model of clear writing and readable design. I like books about how to do things and how to make things. I've decided to use Angier's table of contents as a found structure for my own current book project. Will be posting on using the form and structure of things you've read as models, prompts, or a scaffold to start your own work.
One "basic tool" you might find useful right now is a work journal. Call it what you like, but think of it as a low stakes method for tracking how you work.
As Peter Elbow writes, his understanding of himself as a writer grew "out of the experience of watching myself write and trying to figure out when I get tied in knots and when I don't get tied in knots."
A work journal is a way you can see yourself at work and, perhaps, begin to see who and how you are as a writer. When I began to observe myself this way, I saw how the choices I made and the beliefs I had got in the way. I also saw more clearly what helped. It's a flexible, adaptable thing-- sometimes I'll keep my journal over the course of months, set it aside, and come back to it when I see I've begun to drift from my goals.
So, here are some instructions. A caveat: as with all you find here, see for yourself. If something doesn't work, don't assume it ought to have. Also, The journal I describe here is not meant to be elaborate, additional work-- the system is not meant to become a preoccupation. It’s a space where you keep a record of your work and where you reflect in an open ended way on your project. Over time, a narrative of your project emerges. A narrative of your way of working emerges. You cultivate a vantage point on the design of your project that allows you to choose among possibilities. You also get to know yourself as a writer.
When you sit down for a session of work, start with entry in your journal. Don’t forget the date, time, and even place. If you note the place, you might learn about where you work best.
Answers these questions:
What do I want to accomplish?
Do any tasks carry over from the last time I worked?
At the end of the session, note how long you worked and answer these questions
Did I accomplish what I intended?
What is left over?
How did I feel about the work?
If I didn’t complete the work I intended, what got in the way?
You might continue with a memo, an open ended reflection on the work you did and your project. Remember, though, this is not a space for judgement and self-criticism. Your approach should be more along the lines of observation than evaluation. Let it be a place where you are getting to know yourself as a writer and where you can reflect on your project as it emerges.
Here is an entry of mine from yesterday:
March 19, 2020 Attic 9:50 to 10:15
Read and Annotate October Draft
Interrupted first by G.
Next interrupted by R.
Decided to give in for now. Tense.
Will talk to them about interruptions. May need to wait a day or two more before the draft. Things need to settle. Instead, focus on something lower stakes for the next couple of days-- get materials together, etc,?