The Diary
of
Anne Ku

8 December 2000 Friday

ORGANISED TO WRITE

Once you've collected your material, organised it, then free yourself to write." Writing is two-thirds research and organisation.

This was the secret I've been searching all this time. If you have it in your head, that's the first step. But you can't write until you've organised what you will write. It's like my home: I have everything I need and want, but I can't begin to live unless it's organised.

Writing can be so painful sometimes. When I complained of my shoulder aches to a freelance journalist, he empathised. He told me how he locked himself in a room and typed. He got cramps from sitting in a weird position for so long.

Starting is difficult. I like to write the first draft without referring to anything. Sort of like what I'm doing now. But I forget that this is the way to start. I get carried away by "collecting" information without bothering to organise it. Then I try to start writing and realise I can't. I'm too intimidated by what others have written. What could I possibly add to this?

Draft an outline. How could I forget my basic English writing course way back in junior high school? Writing is repetitive. Draft after draft. Writing is rewriting. The way to better writing must thus be better organisation.

Yesterday

Tomorrow