Social scaffolding

 

This module addresses Sword’s social domain of writing and it chimes with the course’s second and third principle of taking ownership of your behaviour and emotional relationship with writing. Social writing is a way of generating support in your PhD and writing accountability.

As a lawyer and someone of a certain age, social writing was anathema to me. Not only was it something I was instinctively against, but all my writing practices actually mitigated against any kind of social writing. First, I didn’t ever co-author. Legal academia is mainly a sole author discipline outside of grant writing. Getting co-authors is tricky - usually people look at you as though you are one of those people talking on the London Tube. It is just not done!

Before I became a writing coach I did all my writing the wrong way which I why I am so qualified to hand out this advice. I have been to the dark side and returned a better scholar for it. I wrote at anti-social times: holidays, evenings, weekends. Practically speaking therefore, writing with others was out. I also wrote alone, in silence, at home. Never, ever, in my work office. Writing was utterly private in every sense.

I have since, of course, seen the error of my ways and now understand how important social writing is. Even if you are vehemently against it, or cannot imagine a scenario where this could ever work for you in any form, please do try it. Try it in a few different forms before giving up. It has completely changed not only how much I write, but also, how happy I am as a writer. I am a social convert and like all newly converted zealots, I am out to convert you too.

I am arguing here that some form of social writing - that is writing with, or around (physically or remotely) other people - is a necessary condition to being a happier and more productive writer. Most people who know me well would probably ascribe Sartre’s ‘Hell is other people’ as my personal motto, written through me like Blackpool rock. But not when it comes to writing. Especially when it comes to writing.

Although I prefer, by and large, writing alone in silence at home with my headphones on in my lovely home office, it is not the only place I can write (remember our specious barriers to writing - I should add, I can’t write around/ amongst other people as one of mine). 

Yes I often prefer to write alone. But I can and now do write amongst others regularly. Indeed this is necessary for a number of reasons:

1. Companionship. ‘Tell me thy company and I will tell thee what thou art’*. I want to be around writers. I want that feeling of common endeavour and to be around people who understand the joy and frustration of writing.

2. Discipline. If I have arranged to meet up with others to write (in person or over the internet) I do it because my fear of being seen as a flake is a greater shame than fear of writing.

3. Writing retreats. Going back to deep work, making grand gestures where we dedicate a day to writing, and pay money to do so, usually involves being around others (again physically or remotely). I find these really helpful. They are full of positive reinforcement and they ensure we actually do make writing a priority.

4. Practicality. I simply can’t always be in my favoured spot alone at home. I am often in airports, on trains, on buses. I spend a lot of time waiting around in places. I need to get used to writing around others if I am to be productive, so why not get used to being around other writers?

TODAY I WILL…

  • Write for 2 hours minimum working my way down my task list;

  • Schedule one of my writing slots in a different location;

  • Schedule one of my writing slots this week as a social one (next session on methods of social writing for tips).

*Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote (1605-1615), Volume III, Part II, Chapter XXIII.