Experiential Writing Takes Time (and That’s OK!)

I’ve invented a new phrase: Experiential Writing. At least, it’s new to me. (Maybe it should be Experiencial Writing: Writing based on experience.) This discovery helps me understand and explain the dilemma some writers — including me — have in trying to produce vast amounts of words in a short amount of time.

During the past couple of days, you’ve seen me post on overcoming writing fear. I’ve also written about “just write”, that sometimes we just have to write to get things down on paper. If you follow one of my other blogs, NaturesGuy.com, you know I write about peeling and freezing free peaches.

For some reason, a lot of writing lessons are coming out of those free freestone peaches!

The Writer’s Dilemma: Not Enough Writing Production

As I worked on peeling today’s batch of peaches, I realized I was taking a lot of time … time that was taking away from my writing. “How am I going to catch up?” I wondered to myself. “How am I going to reach my goal of writing five blogs or content pieces and still have time to enjoy the day?” I found myself being frustrated with doing something — preparing and cooking (and eating) peaches — that I usually enjoy.

Then it hit me. Standing there, peeling peaches, I’m still working on my writing. I’m still researching and preparing. I’m just doing it in a different way.  In fact, it hit me so hard I quickly riffed / improved this Experiential Writing Aug2019 YouTube video on it (because it’s difficult to type when your hands are covered with peach goop!)

Discovering Experiential Writing

Simply put (as you see in the video), part of our writing craft is actually DOING what we are writing about. We become subject-matter experts (the vaunted SMEs of technology and manufacturing companies) by doing. As I know from my experience as a curriculum developer (see my portfolio at www.CyranoWriter.com), the best learning comes from doing. So it stands to reason that experiential writing makes the best writing (unless you’re Steven Kent, Joan Wilder, or Marnie) (references to friend who is a Sci-Fi writer, the Romancing the Stone novelist, and my wife Marnie, a historical fiction and romance author).

The next time you’re troubled by the non-writing activities you’re doing, (because it’s not writing,) just do a mind shift (again!) Reframe and realize that you’re actually working on your writing craft. Remember: All writing is experiential writing.

Write on!

Experiential Writing Resources

Marnie and I run focused, exclusive experiential writing and business launch retreats at our rural property in Northwest Georgia. These retreats give you a chance to get away while we train you to think, write and produce experientially!

Featured Image Copyright: lovelyday12 / BigStockPhoto.com

David Kuhns

Dave has decades of writing and editing, Nature observation and connecting, and creativity experience. He’s written and taught: Web content, marketing and communications collateral, communications and business plans, curriculum development, book ghostwriting and editing, social media, technical writing, blogs, local search engine optimization, and thousands of creative writing works. Clients have included: F5, Wavetronix, AT&T, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Boeing, and assorted local businesses and non-profits. With his wife Marnie he runs SpiritTreeFarms.com and IgnitePoint.com