On Fishing and Writing

Last summer, I had the opportunity to go fishing with my father up in northern Minnesota.  As we sat in the boat, mindfully casting out our lures and occasionally pulling in Northern Pike, I was struck: Writing and fishing have a lot in common!

It’s a process. 
Experienced fishermen and women take time to prepare for the day of fishing. As I watched my dad spend 30 minutes loading the boat, sorting through the tackle boxes, securing the straps around the trailer, planning our route, and filling water bottles, I was reminded that effective writers take time to prepare too.  When writing, remember that it’s a process and that taking time to prepare (through critical reading, outlining,drafting) can help make the process go more smoothly.

You can’t keep them all. 
When fishing, sometimes the fish you catch seem perfect as you bring in the net, but then you measure or weigh them and realize that they’re too big or too small to keep.  Sometimes it’s hard to throw back the fish after they’ve been caught, but you must. It’s the law.  With writing, the same rule applies.  Sometimes you write beautiful sentences or paragraphs, but when you go to revise, you realize they’re too long or too short. So, you have to cut them.

Sometimes you don’t make progress. 
It doesn’t happen often in northern Minnesota since fish in the lakes are bountiful, but every once in a while, you don’t catch any fish.  It can be tempting to stay out longer and spend more hours trying to get that elusive fish, but it’s important to remember that there’s more to life than just fishing, and sometimes it’s okay to go home empty handed.  Occasionally, the same thing may happen with writing.  You may sit and try to write for a few hours without making progress.  Rather than being upset about this, go ahead and call it a day and come back to it tomorrow.  Maybe things will be different then.

The rewards at the end of the day are great.
Fishing is laborious and requires a lot of hard work and concentration. At the end of the day, it’s all worth it because you’ve caught your own dinner and spent some quality time outdoors.  Like fishing, writing can sometimes be really challenging and can require a lot of focus and concentration.  However, at the end of the day, when you’ve met your writing goal or completed your course assignment or dissertation chapter, the rewards are so strong.

Thanks for reading!  Do you have any other ideas for how fishing and writing are alike? If so, let us know in the comment box below.

Jes Philbrook is a Writing Instructor in the Walden University Writing Center. She’s taught and tutored writing for the last nine years. When not working, Jes can be found outdoors, likely walking, canoeing, fishing, reading a book in a hammock, or playing with her adorable nieces and nephews.

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