The Practice of Writing Consultancy

reading everybody's drafts

Reading all these drafts I'm almost overwhelmed by the amount you people are able to get done before something is even due... nevermind late.

I'm the worst drafter in the world. It takes me forever to get started on a project, then it takes me longer still to reach a productive pace on it. By the time I've completed something that's whole enough to be considered a draft, it's already 2 days late and I have to quickly hammer out what hasn't been started and hand in a first draft... if it's even complete. I tell this to clients and am surprised every time they don't call me a fraud and walk out of the building.

It's interesting for to think about where my authority comes from in this job if I'm sitting at this desk amazed at the talent and conviction it takes to compose something whole by or before the date it's expected in the hands of an evaluator. I've been sharing good strategies and productive methods with students for years, and many of them even take my advice and become much more skilled or comfortable writers with it. Why is that possible? Am I just a convincing person? Is it just due to the fact that I'm just the guy that's sitting at the desk when they're told "It's time to see your consultant now?"

I think the truth is built from those pieces, but ends up as something more. I've studied good ways to work with people on their writing, and I think the least frequently suggested minimum entry requirement for being a good writing consultant is that you be a good, strong, successful writer. You should know what you like, and you should be able to be articulate about why you do or don't like something, and you should be familiar with resources and strategies that can get something you don't like closer to something you do like, but actually being able to take the reins and do the rocking yourself seems like it would be counterproductive.

So, yeah. I have authority in these matters. I know what I like, I know what works for people, and I can talk about both things at the same time. The one thing I can't do is stop riding my bike and playing video games long enough to start a paper early enough to have it finished on time. Put like that, those things don't even seem that closely related.