Thursday Thoughts: Your Cat Can Inspire Great Writing

Thursday, August 18, 2016 Learning Styles , News and Notes , Writing Center Services No comments

This week, in deliberation about the Thursday Thoughts post, I was trying to think of a catchy acronym that would allow me to share with the world a picture of my beautiful cat, Lucy, and I realized: Writing well requires care, attention, time, and space... or: Writing well requires C (care) A (attention) T (time) S (space). That's right, writing well requires cats.

Having a pet cat requires your care, attention, time, and space. Likewise, writing well requires care, attention, time, and space. If you have questions about what I mean, like I hope you do, read more below!

Adorable kitten sits on a bed looking contemplative. Text overlay reads "Thursday Thoughts: Walden University Writing Center"

Writing requires care, in that - when given the opportunity - you should always choose to write about something you care about. Chances are, if you're seeking a degree at Walden, you are enrolled in a program because you care about it, so this should be easy. Audiences of your writing will be able to tell whether you care about your topic. Your audience includes your professors, your partner, your classmates, and your friends. Your audience is bigger than you might think, and trust me, they will be more likely to care about your topic if it shows that you care about it, too. To read more about how to demonstrate care in your writing and let your audience know you care, checkout this blog post titled, "Reading the Room: Adjusting Your Writing to Engage Your Audience."

Writing well requires attention to detail. I've been the student who writes a 10-page paper the day before the paper is due... don't get me wrong. However, that writing process made me feel really scattered and disorganized. I couldn't pay proper attention to all the moving pieces of my paper, and I lost track of important details that would have otherwise strengthened my text. So, my argument is that any attention given to your paper should be focused attention, and this begins first with organizing your galaxy of articles and quotes and ideas into clear, easy-to-navigate notes. Lucky for you, we have some great resources on how you can organize your ideas so that you can begin writing with a good foundation. Beginning from a foundation of organized details is likely to result in a piece of writing that feels stronger overall.

As I've written long and longer pieces of writing, I've learned that writing well requires a timeline and clear goals. My cat, for instance, loves snuggling with me when she wakes up in the morning and, later in the afternoon, she loves to charge around the house from bedroom to bedroom. She has a timeline for each and every day, one that is unique to her and her preferences, and I think that a piece of writing, too, should be approached with the same ideas in mind. Writing, in and of itself, takes time... choosing a topic you care to write about, organizing your ideas about that topic, and sitting down at the computer to begin your introduction are all part of the writing timeline. The step in this timeline where you actually begin writing your paper is discussed here, in our blog post titled, "Don't Just Write a Paper: Take a Trip." This blog post can help you to set up your writing timeline.

Taking space away from your writing can be a means of self-care. As a writer, you are used to looking at the same words on a screen for hours at a time, and sometimes, after so many hours, those words can begin to feel jumbled. To negate this feeling, my suggestion is to take a break. Grant yourself the ability to create some space between yourself and your writing. Do something you love. Pick up a sweet treat from your local cafe; go for a run; watch an episode of your favorite guilty pleasure TV show. Whatever you do, let go of paper pressure during that time. Creating this space to practice self-care should calm you and allow you to return to your paper feeling refreshed. More ideas to create space and practice self-care can be found here, with tips and tricks from fellow Walden students. As a writer, who will likely be writing for years to come, this practice will benefit you long-term.

Now, I hope it's clear: You do need CATS to write well. Maybe you don't need a cuddly kitten charging around your house to write well, but it will benefit you as a writer to care for your writing by paying attention, making time, and taking space. If you have any questions about these tips or the resources provided within this blog post, feel free to send us an email at writingsupport@waldenu.edu. Until next Thursday, happy writing!

The Walden Writing Center offers to Walden students 1:1 writing support and offers to students and non-students alike all the writing expertise, tips, and information a writer could want.