I was a bit hesitant when I first began
reading Writing the Australian Crawl by
William Stafford. This immediate hesitation began after watching his
documentary in class. He didn't seem like an author I would find very
interesting due to his lack of enthusiasm. However, I was pleasantly surprised
after reading the first few assigned chapters. Although Stafford wasn't the
most exciting person to watch on screen, he is an incredible poet with plenty
of advice and knowledge to share. In my opinion, Stafford does an incredible
job of writing in such a way that is easy to understand for anyone who chooses
to pick up his work. He speaks, writes, and teaches simply. Knowing Stafford
was a well-known poet, I was nervous he was going to have (for lack of a better
word) “stuck-up”, or arrogant attitude. This was definitely not the case.
Stafford came across as a very humble and kind man; his love for writing shines
through each and every page. A Way of
Writing was one of my favorite readings in Writing
the Australian Crawl. In this chapter, Stafford thoroughly explains his own
personal writing process, while also expressing his own weaknesses. He briefly discusses
the concept of “receptivity”; this is the first step to his writing process.
Stafford will grab a pen and paper, sit by his window, and simply open his mind
and wait for any thought to come. Not any specific or “intelligent” thought,
just any inspirational idea that pops into his mind.
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I also love how Stafford explains his
thoughts on “skills” when writing. The
idea that our creative writing and use of imagination is not solely based on
skill is great. It shows that our unique creativeness comes from within
ourselves, not the amount of experience or education we've received.
“They
talk about "skills" in writing. Without denying that I do have
experience, wide reading, automatic orthodoxies and maneuvers of various kinds,
I still must insist that I am often baffled about what "skill" has to
do with the precious little area of confusion when I do not know what I am
going to say and then I find out what I am going to say. That precious interval
I am unable to bridge by skill. What can I witness about it? It remains mysterious,
just as all of us must feel puzzled about how we are so inventive…”