A French writer bought Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer and wasn't sure what I meant by a “fieldstone.” He couldn't find a translation that made sense to him.
In Weinberg on Writing, Jerry explained fieldstones as a way to build a piece of writing, just like masons used blocks to build stone walls. The more blocks you collect, the easier it is to see when and where to use them. (Yes, I credit Jerry in my book!)
You might need to make some of the blocks smaller, which is why Weinberg said a fieldstone can be any size. Or, you might need to wait to build your wall (your piece) until you can either create something large enough or discover the large stone you need.
That's why “collecting” enough fieldstones makes it possible for writers to write faster and with more ease. We aren't searching for the “right” idea—we have plenty of ideas.
Sometimes a fieldstone is too big for me, so I use the notion of an “idea bank.” My idea bank reminds me of themes I want to possibly address in the future. However, I don't need a fieldstone to start—all I have is that idea. Between the two of them, I always have a way to build my piece (my wall) because I never start with a blank page.
The Blank Page Problem Can Stop Writers from Writing
Before I knew about fieldstones or the idea bank, I had trouble starting a piece. I would think in circles, trying to understand what I wanted to say.
But I don't know any writer who can figure out what they want to say without writing something first. Maybe you can, but I can't, and neither can any of my students or fellow writers. We all need to write something first, even if it's “wrong.”
Wrong isn't the problem—writers can fix what's wrong once they see the words on the page. (I have been known to hit my forehead and say out loud, “Johanna, what were you thinking??”)
But writers often have big problems when they face a blank page. The blank page is too intimidating, so the writer stops before the writer even starts.
That's why I advocate choosing a place that allows writers to create their fieldstones and idea bank.
Use Your Fieldstones and Ideas
Whenever I'm ready to write, I review my Notes application. I use Notes because I have very little friction for adding a note. And it syncs everywhere. I am sure there are many other apps. I choose a Note that intrigues me right now.
That allows me to write fast, with much more ease. I'm not sitting there fretting over a blank page. I'm writing and finishing.
Sometimes, I even take those ideas in my idea bank and write a few words about what that idea means to me. Now, I've got more fieldstones. That's a win all the way around.
Just as product development teams need small stories to create a feature set in our products, writers need small ideas to get started so they can finish.
Make your writing fun and increase your ease, especially if you use the equivalent of an idea bank and fieldstones. If you want to learn how to do this with me, check out the writing workshop. As I write this, I've opened registration for Q1 2024. If you read this later, don't worry—I offer the workshop once a quarter. That page will allow you to add yourself to the notification list if this quarter's timing doesn't work for you.
See all the posts in this intermittent series of “writing secrets.”
If you're wondering, Jean-Yves emailed me, and then wrote this piece: Second week return.