Reflection on Bandersnatch: Writing With and For

 Reflections on the Writing Process

I've been reading the book Bandersnatch, by Diana Pavlac Glyer, and reflecting on her insights. As she explains how influence and collaboration worked within the Inklings, the group of creative writers including C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, she makes sure to include their process and sometimes even their own words.

As I read Chapter 5, "Drat that Omnibus!", which focuses on the specific feedback the Inklings gave each other, a direct quote from Tolkien struck me. He stated, "If I had considered my own pleasure more than the stomachs of a possible audience, there would have been a great deal more Elvish in the book." (p. 105) As I reflected a few weeks ago on the audiobook One Beautiful Dream, by Jennifer Fulwiler, I realized the pursuit of writing for God needs a reason. This reason, it seems, cannot be simply "to entertain myself." It cannot be self-centered. Very well! I can try to write to bring joy or comfort or help to others. However, Tolkien's comment reveals that we can be selfish not just in our writing intention, but in the way we write.

Writing for Others

I had several "aha!" moments while reading Fulwiler's book. To summarize from my previous blog post "One Beautiful Dream and Dreams to Write One Beautiful Thing," these realizations are:

1) Have a purpose for writing: to lift burdens, to encourage, to comfort others.

2) It's alright to write just a little, but to fulfill its purpose, it must be shared - even if it's with just one person.

3) Good writing matters because beautiful writing can uplift the reader.

Tolkien's statement has helped clarify this last point in particular. I may need to put aside my own preferences in order to do what readers would probably enjoy more. I cannot be so attached to my own words and the way I've arranged them that I do the reader a disservice by refusing to alter them. I won't need to act on every suggested edit, but I should consider what effect the words might have on the reader. Perhaps the original draft seems to describe the scene in one way, but proofreading from a different set of eyes might reveal that the words suggest a completely different image from what I intend. 

Openness to Feedback

When I've worked on projects or presentations in the past, I've had a tendency to feel very defensive of my skills and protective of my work. I know that I'm sensitive to criticism, so I want to avoid situations where my work will be explored for flaws. With this new insight that I've gleaned from Tolkien, I hope to move forward with being open to - and even embracing - the editing process. It is not myself who is being judged worthy of reading - or not. The words either convey the meaning that I want them to, or they don't. If a friend offers a correction on word choice, it is a gift to me because it makes the work better and, hopefully, more meaningful to the reader. It may still hurt, but perhaps the knowledge that it is for the good of the work, and not its destruction, will help assuage my sensitivity.

So, here is the fourth "aha!" principle:

4) You are not your written work. Editing is meant to refine the work so it is a better gift to the reader (i.e., it can better uplift, encourage, and comfort).

Action Item

In conclusion, the editing process does not need to be terrifying. Going forward from this post, my new goal is to embrace an opportunity to have someone edit my work when the opportunity arises.