1. NorthernLights

    NorthernLights New Member

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    Does writing equate thinking?

    Discussion in 'General Writing' started by NorthernLights, Sep 20, 2015.

    Writing = Thinking?

    Is the act of 'writing' simply the act of 'thinking?

    I think so, yeah. What do you think?
     
  2. Imaginarily

    Imaginarily Disparu en Mer Contributor

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    o_O An interesting question.

    Since I write fiction, technically everything I write about is "all in my head" so I guess writing = thinking for me.
     
  3. Sifunkle

    Sifunkle Dis Member

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    It's the act of translating thought into a communicable, physical form. There's probably always at least some loss of clarity. Also, thoughts vary in their profundity, and that is reflected in writing (but very open to the reader's interpretation).
     
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  4. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Writing requires thinking as a prerequisite, but they're not precisely equal, no.
     
  5. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Hi, welcome to the forum, @NorthernLights. Contemplating the Universe tonight are we?

    :superthink:
     
  6. NorthernLights

    NorthernLights New Member

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    Lol, @GingerCoffee something like that. I think I wonder something at most moments.
     
  7. Daemon Wolf

    Daemon Wolf Senior Member

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    No, writing does not equal thinking. I think to write but I do not write to think. I do however believe Reading = Knowledge because people are more likely to open their minds to ideas they read in a book than to someone you talk to.
     
  8. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    Thinking (too much) will only bring you unhappiness.
     
  9. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    I think it does. Otherwise how are you writing? Thoughts are but the beginnings of actions. :D
     
  10. DueNorth

    DueNorth Senior Member

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    Agree with ChickenFreak, writing, good writing, is far more than thinking, although of course the ability to think is a prerequisite. Good writing is also more than translating thoughts into communication. Good writing is an art form. A house painter can slap paint on a wall and keep drips off the mop board, but an artist.... A beginning musician can tap out the notes on the piano keys, but an accomplished musician makes those keys sing. When I am reading a piece by an author I admire I experience more than the conveyance of thought. I know a few people with great minds who could not win the WF bi-monthly short story contest if there were a million dollar prize and all other entrants were former also-rans.
     
  11. psychotick

    psychotick Contributor Contributor

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    Hi,

    I'm sure I would be able to anser you with a witty, intellectual and acurate answer, but unfortunately I have thinkers block at the moment!!!

    Cheers, Greg.
     
  12. NorthernLights

    NorthernLights New Member

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    Wow that's a hell of an answer. I value your insight.
     
  13. Imaginarily

    Imaginarily Disparu en Mer Contributor

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    I see what you did there. :bigwink:
     
  14. nhope

    nhope Member Reviewer

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    Thinking is internal, writing is external. And, while writing, if you've ever been in that place where your mind is elevated to some uncharted plateau and you write and you write and you don't even realize that you're not in our world until your body starts to prickle and you look around and realize you're sitting at your kitchen table, but it's four hours later, the sun is setting, and you've written 10 pages, only then will you understand that sometimes, the writing has a power of its own and your thinking had nothing to do with it.
     
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  15. Greenwood

    Greenwood Active Member

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    Exactly! When you are in that zone where everything around you fades and all you see is your sheet and pen or keyboard and the writing just comes out naturally, I think that perhaps it's not just you and your thoughts, but it may also be some connection between you and your subconscious thoughts which just makes the words fly out instead of having to contemplate on every sentence. These, I think, are the moments every writer aims for and should cherish, as they certainly don't come every time I sit down in front of my desktop or notepad.
     
  16. wellthatsnice

    wellthatsnice Active Member

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    all writing is thinking, but not all thinking is writing. So it is not a straight writing = thinking equation. Similar to square = rectangle. That equation is only true in one direction.
     
  17. writer one

    writer one Member

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    Does writing involve thinking, I have to say yes because my user name is wrong. It's creativewriter, I put two many letters in it. The sentence creative writer confuses me greatly. I write about what I know and about my experiences in my life.

    I heard creative writing is where a writer can take any word or sentence and write a story about it, without mentioning anything about them selfs are there experiences in there life.? creative writer
     
  18. Foxe

    Foxe Active Member

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    If you have an idea in your mind, writing it will make it clearer, more concise, more developed. Through the process of organizing your thoughts or re-reading what you've written, you'll use whatever level of intelligence your gene pool and lifestyle have given you to figure out if it makes sense or not.

    Example, the process of writing an essay is reading, writing, re-reading, re-writing, reading some more, adding to the writing, deleting and then revising, and (if exasperated and out of time as the sun rises and the countdown to your class for which that essay is written is now measured in minutes rather than hours) through that process you will solidify your own thoughts on the subject. The same can be applied to any writing.

    So yes, writing is thinking. But like @wellthatsnice said, not all thinking is writing.
     

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