How I Study Artistic Writing

I have been commissioned by a very dear friend to write an essay on how I study artistic writing. So – here is my attempt! I should say, right off the bat, that I’m not an expert, I’m not a genius, and I am definitely not the best at what I do; however, I hope that talking through some of the ways I approach reading will help ya’ll. Be forewarned: I apply a lot of hard work to my study practices.

When reading artistic writing for any reason, it’s important to read a lot of it. The more exposure you have to something, the better you will become at enjoying it, identifying unifying themes/ideas, and understanding. It’s also important to understand that things like this were not written to be understood at a glance. Artistic writing is composed with great care and diligence. Good writing should be important enough to read multiple times. Never try to understand artistic writing immediately (This includes poetry, lit., creative fic/nfic, and epics). You may get an idea of what the writing probably means, but it is extremely unlikely that you have grasped everything. How can you start? Here are some steps I take when approaching a new piece of artistic writing:

1.I read the writing. I try to read it at least three times – silently the first time, out loud the second time. If at all possible, I listen to it for the third time (maybe find someone reading it online; ask a friend or family member). Depending upon the complexity of the writing, I may read it several more times. It is important to be able to read the work without haltering over things and to be able to find any passages/stanzas/lines/paragraphs at a moment’s notice. You want to be able to think about it as a whole, and you need to be familiar with it to do so.

2.I pull out my dictionary, thesaurus, etymology dictionary, and encyclopedia. This is where most people say: “Just how much work do you make for yourself?!” I believe in putting as much effort in understanding as the author did to writing (that is completely impossible, but I can at least try!). This is especially important in poetry, but it will be important to any artistic work. I have a strong vocabulary, but looking up words builds an idea of the mental place the author wants to take you. I look up all the key words. Are there strong adjectives that point to focal emotions or pictures? Can the objects within the writing be connected in some way? Are the histories of certain words relevant? These are important questions to ask (If you want, I can post an excellent paper (not tooting my own horn – I just know it was a good paper, because I worked really hard) as an example of how I used this technique).

3.I know the history of the writer. A person’s history influences everything they do, and it really shows in his/her writing. Also know what is important to the writer. What is important will often find its way into the majority – if not all – of his/her writing. One key to understanding Lewis, for example, is knowing that he didn’t believe in only writing Christian novels. He wanted to be able to write "secular" works with Christian values, and that shows in everything he writes. Get to really know the author and you will have an advantage. Knowing that he was a professor also influences how you read.

4.I find out the authors signatures. All writers have certain things they habitually do, and if you find out how an author “marks” his/her writing, you know of something that is important to him/her. No one builds a writing habit for no reason.

5.I look for through-threads. This is tied to symbolism and morality. What does the author I am reading constantly come back to? Is there a phrase that is often repeated or rephrased? Is there an image that is brought back several times? When I find the through-thread, that is often what opens up the poem. Artistic writing is a lot easier to understand if you can identify symbols in words and pictures.



That is how I study artistic writing! I know it’s a lot of work, but I find that it is completely worth it and incredibly fulfilling. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!