Waaaay back in elementary school I learned about the five Ws and one H as necessary elements for structuring a piece of writing. Other uses for these questions include project management, investigation, and problem-solving. I find them useful for evaluating my own writing. These questions can be focused on me personally, or on the work I am currently doing.
WHO?
Who am I writing for? Who is my audience?
When I first began my current project, a memoir, it was for my family, my children. However, others have asked if it will be available to a general audience. Expanding my audience from my children who know the setting to friends who do not means that I have changed some aspects of my story.
Also, who am I? When I look back, I rely on letters and journals to recall events and emotions. And I see how I have grown over the years. The slow transformation of God's grace through time is a part of who I am. How do I communicate that?
WHAT?
What is my purpose in writing? Firstly, I write to bring glory to God. Beyond that, I want to tell the story of God's faithfulness throughout the years.
What makes me the person to write this? What can I write that no one else can? My story is not the typical missionary story. I struggled mightily with remaining in Ecuador for 21 years and longed so often to return to Canada. My story is one of obedience to God that is greater than my own desires, and of God's redemption of my struggle.
WHERE?
Where do I write best? We have a breakfast table for two overlooking the garden. I sit on one side and Tim faces me. After breakfast, I take over his spot to write for a couple of hours as I find that view more expansive. Simply sitting in the other chair signals to me that it's time to get to work. I have a studio upstairs, but for now, this is where I write.
Where is my story set? What are the smells, sounds, and sights that convey the setting? Once, when arriving at my parents' home, my mother suggested that we launder all of our clothing. It carried with it the musty dampness of the jungle.
WHY?
So many whys! Why do I write? God has given me the desire to write, so I write. Why not?
Another why could be - Why am I structuring my story this way? Why not try this?
HOW?
How much research must I do?
How do I choose a POV?
How will I carry on when the writing bogs down?
How do I connect my emotions to my story?
The question possibilities are endless. Jesus asked pointed questions of the people in his life. In Luke 18:41 Jesus asked a blind man, "What do you want me to do for you?" I imagine Jesus asking me that question and it causes me to evaluate what I really want. To God be the glory.
Lorrie Orr asks questions from Vancouver Island where she lives with her husband. Her five grandchildren ask plenty of questions that she cannot answer.
Thanks for this post Lorrie!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome!
DeleteThank you for sharing your writing process with us, dear Lorrie. So much wisdom in this post that I hope to draw on. I'm sure others will feel the same.
ReplyDeleteBlessings.
Thank you, Wendy.
DeleteI enjoyed seeing a glimpse into your process, Lorrie. I smiled when you mentioned sitting in the opposite chair was a signal to start writing. It is often something as small and seemingly insignificant that triggers are brains in this way.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny what triggers a change from play to work and back again. And it's very helpful to be aware of those triggers.
DeleteDear Lorrie, the insights into your process as a writer remind me of the gifted writers we have in InScribe. Your recollection of the five Ws and one H takes me back to my early school years as well. I imagine they have accompanied many a writer over the years. You use them well, Lorrie. Thank you so much for sharing this post with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alan.
DeleteLorrie, I enjoyed reading your W5+1 post. I have often used that same set of questions we learned in school to guide my own thoughts as I worked on various projects, including my writing work.
ReplyDeleteI love your comments in your last paragraph re the question Jesus asks the blind man. "What do you want me to do for you?" I also like to imagine Jesus asking me the question, and it makes me want to think carefully before answering. I feel His great love for that man - for us - in that question, and I imagine it being said with such kindness and true interest.
Thanks so much, Lorrie.
Thank you, Brenda. The story of Jesus and the blind man is one of my favourites - Jesus' question is one that I reflect on from time to time.
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