Flowers’ Modelof the Writing Process

Standard model

• Get ideas• Draft• Revise• Polish

Parts / WholeParts / Whole

Original Original Star TrekStar Trek

SpockSpockreasonreason

McCoyMcCoyintuitionintuition

KirkKirkexecutive functionexecutive function

Your writing energiesYour writing energies

CreatorCreator

PlannerPlanner DrafterDrafter

EditorEditor

Flowers’ modelFlowers’ model

Or if you prefer…

FlowersFlowers VariationVariation

ArchitectArchitect

LunaticLunatic What if…What if…??Why not…?Why not…?

What’s the plan?What’s the plan?

Build it!Build it!

Clean it up!Clean it up!

CarpenterCarpenter

Judge Judge ororJanitorJanitor

ArchitectArchitect

ArtistArtist

CarpenterCarpenter

InspectorInspector

RoleRole

Each of these four characters needs time alone on the stage.

If you shortchange any of them, your writing will suffer.

Garner (1997)

Words of wisdom

Enemies and allies

Natural enemiesNatural enemies Natural alliesNatural allies

Which is strongest?Which is strongest?

Describe any conflicts Describe any conflicts

you experienceyou experience

between the between the

four energies.four energies.

If you wish, If you wish,

share strategies share strategies

that you find helpful that you find helpful

in resolving conflicts.in resolving conflicts.

Your writing energiesYour writing energies

CreatorCreator

DrafterDrafter

PlannerPlanner

EditorEditor

Cultivating the CreatorCultivating the Creator

Separate drafting and editing.Separate drafting and editing.

Focus on capturing ideas.Focus on capturing ideas.

Promise the Judge a chance to comment later.Promise the Judge a chance to comment later.

Focus on potentialFocus on potential

Trust order will emergeTrust order will emerge

Cultivating the PlannerCultivating the Planner

Follow a model.Follow a model.

Create an outline or other overview.Create an outline or other overview.

Use linear logic or web thinking,Use linear logic or web thinking,whichever works for you.whichever works for you.

Step- or web-thinker?Step- or web-thinker?

Follow a model.Follow a model.

Create an outline or other overview.Create an outline or other overview.

Use linear logic or web thinking,Use linear logic or web thinking,whichever works for you.whichever works for you.

Cultivating Cultivating the the CarpenterCarpenter

Separate writing and editing.Separate writing and editing.

Create the draft.Create the draft.

Go with the flow.Go with the flow.

Leave gaps for later.Leave gaps for later.

Write, then editWrite, then edit

Tolerate the mess

It ain’t where you start, It ain’t where you start, it is where you finish.it is where you finish.

Gen. Colin PowellGen. Colin Powell

Cultivating Cultivating the the JudgeJudge

Judge = “inspector for quality control”Judge = “inspector for quality control”(Garner, 1997)(Garner, 1997)

Cultivating Cultivating the the JudgeJudge

First, deal with global issues.First, deal with global issues.Have you said what you wanted to say?Have you said what you wanted to say?Are things in the right order?Are things in the right order?

Then switch to your readers’ point of view.Then switch to your readers’ point of view.Have you anticipated questions?Have you anticipated questions?Will readers understand?Will readers understand?Do they have a reason to care?Do they have a reason to care?

Finally, fix errors.Finally, fix errors.

Do a “dental draft”

A friend of mine says that the first A friend of mine says that the first draft is the draft is the downdown draftdraft—you just —you just get it down. The second draft is get it down. The second draft is the the up draftup draft—you fix it up. And —you fix it up. And the third draft is the the third draft is the dental draftdental draft, , where you check every tooth, where you check every tooth, to see if it’s loose or cramped to see if it’s loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy.us, healthy.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Anne LamottAnne Lamott

What have you learned?What have you learned?

DrafterDrafter

EditorEditor

CreatorCreator

PlannerPlanner

(Flowers, n.d.)(Flowers, n.d.)

(Garner, 1997)(Garner, 1997)

(Munzenmaier, (Munzenmaier, 2010)2010)

YouYou

GenealogyGenealogy

ReferencesReferences

Flowers, B. S. (n.d.). Flowers, B. S. (n.d.). Madman, architect, carpenter, judge: Roles and the writing process.Retrieved from https://webspace.utexas.edu/cherwitz/www/ie/b_flowers.html

Garner, B. A. (1997). Using the Garner, B. A. (1997). Using the Flowers paradigm to write more Flowers paradigm to write more efficiently. Retrieved from efficiently. Retrieved from http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/nov08-garner.htm

Flowers, B. S. (n.d.). Flowers, B. S. (n.d.). Madman, architect, carpenter, judge: Roles and the writing process.Retrieved from https://webspace.utexas.edu/cherwitz/www/ie/b_flowers.html

Garner, B. A. (1997). Using the Flowers paradigm to Garner, B. A. (1997). Using the Flowers paradigm to write more efficiently. Retrieved from write more efficiently. Retrieved from http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/novhttp://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/nov08-garner.htm08-garner.htm

Simpson, T. (2009). The toolkit. Retrieved from Simpson, T. (2009). The toolkit. Retrieved from http://www.win-more-cases.com/toolkit/introduction/artist-inspector-architect-carpenter.html

ResourcesResources