3 Quotes to Help Heal the Writer’s Heart

Working as a consultant at the Graduate Writing Studio has taught me a lot about writing as a process. I felt I knew an awful lot about writing before I started, but what I knew was limited to my own experience. As a consultant working with a diverse group of students, some of my initial ideas/beliefs have been confirmed, but also, my awareness about the particular challenges students face in writing has greatly expanded.
I have come to some insights about the written word, and how we as people relate to it. Below are three things to keep in mind if you are a writer with a broken heart and need some TLC:
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“Your writing reflects your thoughts.”
One of my professors once told me the above statement which I have always kept in mind as a good rule of thumb. Working at the GWS, I realize how much truth this statement holds, for a number of reasons. When I say this, I am not speaking about grammar, punctuation or awkward phrases which need to be worked out. More specifically, I am talking about content. Writing is expression, and the content, quality, and interest of your writing comes from your own individual understanding. Your own unique understanding comes from a variety of different factors, but generally, insight, analysis, and a creative/critical understanding can only be achieved after you have 1) gathered enough information on your topic, 2) had some genuine insights about this data.
Once you have conducted the bulk of your research, how can you make your writing better, more interesting, more insightful? One of the easiest ways is to simply spend more time thinking about your topic. Ponder it, explore it, find new and creative ways to reassess and re-analyze what you already know (away from your computer). Talking to others greatly helps. Talk to both informed individuals in your field, and laymen who know very little. Bounce ideas off  friends, visit your adviser, other professors within your department, or visit us at the GWS!
For what can research become without your own unique, creative understanding?
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“If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would have now comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.”- Mark Twain

This quote comes from Mark Twain in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, after clever little
Tom tricks a neighborhood boy into painting a fence for him (a dreaded chore). I believe this sentiment to hold true in many ways—but especially in regard to the work we do here as students. I believe many of us might actually enjoy research, writing, and find these activities to be (dare I say) enjoyable and energizing—yet when we focus solely on the expectations upon us, grading rubrics, deadlines, etc. writing feels very stressful. This is particularly true when it comes to original research and the amount of dedication needed to produce a quality thesis.
In my estimation, students too often forget they are in charge of their work. The paper is a blank canvas, and to a certain degree– they are allowed to determine what matters within that canvas. They forget their research is a result of the passion and commitment they have to a chosen field. In addition, their work represents an unique analysis, and is an incredible representation of the journey they have taken as both undergraduate and graduate students. This work represents one of the most important pieces to their adult life— education. I encourage students to reclaim their project, to reconnect with the original passion they had for their idea, and to remember their research project is one they should be proud of. Not only should students be proud of their work, but they should consider the potential it holds to truly make a meaningful difference in our society.

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“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.”
― Charles Dickens
A lovely quote from Great Expectations, which I have chosen to include here because it speaks to my writer’s heart. This pains me to write, because no one actually wants to struggle. Yet, we all know this to be true to some extent in life. We don’t actively seek struggle out—yet sometimes it is necessary for meaningful change and growth to occur. So many graduates share their frustrations and anxiety; they feel overwhelmed and stressed with the prospect or activity of writing. They fear writing and all the complexity of such a task, as well as the mental effort and exertion needed to create something worthwhile.
Although you certainly have expectations from your professors to perform to a certain level, the reality is you are in a process of learning. Struggle, stress, and anxiety are natural responses to the growth process. It is expected you will feel such feelings; in fact, feeling the way you do is a sign you are actually growing and getting better at such academic tasks. Be aware of the context of your own life: you are a college student, in a rigorous intellectual program, and you are learning how to perform within this program. The more you continue to practice, the better you will eventually become, and subsequently, the less painful writing will be. This is true for many things in life, and writing is no different.
After all, if you were to cease growing, learning, and evolving, what would be the point, and what else would you have to offer? Your contributions would remain limited to where you have been…but of course, there is always so much more.

Toini Hiipakka

Graduate Writing Studio at Fresno State