This week, for class, I read four different letters in Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer. The first letter I read, “Letter to a Young Writer,” inspires young writers to write. McCann reminds us that there is always something to write about. When writing, we should
“be an explorer, not a tourist” and “go somewhere nobody else has gone.”
Pg. 14 in Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer
However, writers may struggle to begin the writing process and feel stuck when encountering a blank page.
In the letter, “The Terror of the White Page,” McCann asserts that time must be put into writing for words to appear. He even describes a writer as
“one who puts his arse in the chair when the last thing he wants to do is have his arse in the chair.”
Pg. 22 in Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer
Of course, writing is not easy and requires a lot of stamina–McCann argues that writers need the stamina of world-class athletes. In the letter, he explores the complexities of writing by both describing and utilizing tools such as bolding, italicizing, and changing the font size of words. McCann even includes a picture of a blank paper and concludes the letter by telling us to
“stare the blank page down.”
Pg. 25 in Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer
Punctuation is another aspect of writing that makes it such a complex task. McCann evaluates this in his letter, “Punctuation: It’s Not Just a Throwaway Thing (Comma).” He emphasizes that punctuation matters and can even be the
“life or death of a sentence.”
Pg. 56 in Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer
McCann also emphasizes the importance of not overusing punctuation. When used correctly–or incorrectly for stylistic purposes–punctuation can greatly enhance writing.
In the last letter I read, “Be Exhausted When You Finish,” McCann argues that you are not done writing until you are exhausted:
“You should feel as if you have just ripped yourself open and that there is nothing more to give.”
Pg. 130 in Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer
In fact, McCann insists that
“…exhaustion is the moment of greatest celebration” because “that’s when you know you’re almost finished.”
Pg. 130 in Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer
