Writing Is Intransitive
“Most aspiring writers write too soon. They think writing is a transitive act instead of an intransitive one.” ~ Verlyn Klinkenborg, Several Short Sentences about Writing, p. 47
I read this quote last week. Then I read it again.
Transitive? Intransitive? I vaguely remembered these grammar terms, but I couldn’t clearly articulate what they meant. So I looked them up.
Transitive verbs need a direct object to complete their meaning. The action transfers from the subject to object. I write something – an article, a newsletter, a book.
Intransitive verbs stand on their own. I just write. I think. I process. I capture.
Light bulb moment.
THE RUB: This is exactly my struggle. I know the real benefit of writing lives in the intransitive space. But in the moment, I’m often less motivated to write another sentence just to think. It’s easier to keep thoughts swirling in my head than to commit them to the page.
What actually gets me to write? The transitive deadline of this weekly newsletter. I need to write something, so I write.
THE FRAMEWORK: I love the poetic ideal of Klinkenborg’s brilliant observation. It’s a tangible way to think about focusing on the journey over the destination. For me, it’s a similar battle when running.
I like to run, especially in the woods. But doing the work of getting up early, putting on warm clothes, and leaving my comfortable home is tough. Doing that for the joy of running alone isn’t always enough. Motivation is easier and stronger when I have a race on the horizon.
Journey versus destination, and transitive versus intransitive don’t have to be positioned as contradicting opposites. They work together hand-in-hand. Having a deliverable with a deadline drives action. Being in the moment and enjoying the activity over the end result drives quality.
Writing is an ambitransitive verb. It can be either transitive or intransitive. So is running.
THE PRACTICE: Working to build my writing habit, I strive to write intransitively. Having the target of publishing a weekly newsletter pushes me to write. The challenge is to level up my writing by moving:
From thinking about introductions and conclusions, to contemplating concepts. When I’m focused on “How should I start this?” Or “How do I wrap this up?” I’m in product mode. I’m building a deliverable. But when I let myself explore a concept without worrying about where it fits, that’s when the interesting connections emerge.
From counting words, to capturing ideas. I’ve caught myself checking word count mid-draft, making sure I’m progressing. That’s transitive thinking, measuring the object I’m producing. What if instead I measured how many distinct ideas I captured? How many moments of clarity I created for myself?
From worrying about flow, to focusing on the independent observation of each sentence. Flow is about the reader’s experience of the finished product. Klinkenborg’s point is that great writing comes from the quality of individual observations. If I focus on making each sentence as clear and true as possible, the flow often takes care of itself.
Here’s to doing the reps in up coming year! Trusting the process. Producing the deliverables, AND enjoying and learning from the journey.