Writing into Clarity

This week I read a piece by Laurel Richardson on Writing as a method of inquiry in The Handbook of Qualitative Research, 2nd edition in which she discusses the process of learning and indeed developing research within the writing process. She offers various methods to seize on writing as a method in and of itself, but in addition to helping me see writing as a research method, the piece reminded me of the power of writing toward clarity.

I'm a terrible test-taker, I won't take the time to prove it to you with the less-than-stellar scores I've chalked up, but really my only saving grace in my testing years (hopefully, they're behind me now), was the essay question. In high school and college, when confronted with an essay question, I would inevitably draw a blank, begin to hyperventilate, and start to write. I would rewrite the question and reframe the argument being described, using only slightly different wording than the original question. But, as I wrote a ridiculous and overly circuitous introduction to my response, something magical would happen. I would remember a concept, I would come up with a new perspective, and the answer would begin to unfold. It became commonplace to get comments back from instructors that would say, "Not sure where you're going here" at the beginning, but then turn to "Excellent point!" and "Well said!" as I got to the conclusion.

I offer this trip down my memory lane not just to reminisce but to speak to the power of writing into clarity and even into realization. Depending on your discipline and your practice, writing may be like breathing for you or it may be a tumultuous relationship, one of dread and avoidance. If you place yourself in the latter group, you may want to rethink your relationship with writing and to see it more as a tool for clarity and idea development. You might keep a journal or a blog to reflect on your work, both the breakthroughs and conundrums, to see if you're able to write into new meaning or out of a sticking point.

As I bring it all back to grant development (you knew I would), when you have been writing about your research regularly, you will likely find that when you sit down to describe your project in a grant or to a colleague, it flows a bit more easily. Perhaps it is easier to illustrate why your project is compelling because you have been wrestling with this in your writing previously.

Our slogan for the upcoming workshop on Scientific Writing, in conjunction with the CCTSI and The Writing Center is "Keep calm and write on." So, that is the sentiment I will leave you with for today, whether you're a nervous freshman or a top researcher and scholar.

Resources:
Writing: A Method of Inquiry - Richardson and St. Pierre