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Writers come in many different types, but they all form components of two categories; spinners and weavers. That’s my theory after being on this road to publication for the past three and a quarter years. Here’s how my theory goes.

Spinners

These writers are the ones who begin a project from thin air, no prep, no origin point beyond a basic premise, and a desire to create a story. These writers can be poets, children’s writers, essayists, memoirists, etc. The way they build the final product is the key to the definition.

They spin their final copy from tiny filaments of imagination, layer on layer, until the end. During rewrite, the spinner works to fill in those empty or shallow spots with more imaginative spinning to round out the overall picture created for the reader. A word change here for more concrete imagery, a comma placed there for more emphasis and dramatic effect, all of these tweaks come with deliberation and forethought to solidify the story, regardless of the format being used.

Some critics point out that this is an inefficient method of writing. I stand as both critic and user of the method. I defend this process of writing as being more organic and freer of cumbersome formulae.

It is also an inefficient and time consuming method of writing. It’s how my mind works when in creation mode, nevertheless. Flying by the seat of my pants might be cliché, but it’s an accurate description of the method.

If a spinner like me has a gut feeling about an impulse story, the best way to tackle it is the NaNoWriMo method. I dive in and write until I come to a wall. Sometimes a wall doesn’t appear until I’ve finished the entire first draft. Those are good times. Filling in the shallow spots, and tweaking during the rewrite, adds satisfaction and anticipation into the project.

There are also times that the wall arrives just after the title and byline, before the first line of the first paragraph. This latter example comes from my not having yet decided on a project’s slant, angle, or purpose before beginning a preplanned project. The spontaneity has been removed from it, leaving me adrift.

When I’m adrift on a preplanned project, I move into Weaver mode.

Weavers

A weaver uses components from various sources to weave a story tapestry, poem, etc. In some instances the type of source isn’t as critical as the information derived from it. Interviews delving into personal experiences glean much useful information without having to be documented from still other sources, for instance.

Personal memoir pieces and personal experience essays don’t always require documentation of any kind.

When the writer works with elements that require accuracy of information, real weaving takes place within the body of a written piece. Tiny details such as a plant’s medicinal properties must be accurate. Why? There are always people who will latch onto that tidbit of info and try it out in the real world, or research it, just to verify the writer’s use of the reference.

Travel articles hold much of the weaver’s abilities. The travel writer

Writers come in many different types, but they all form components of two categories; spinners and weavers. That’s my theory after being on this road to publication for the past three and a quarter years. Here’s how my theory goes.

Spinners

These writers are the ones who begin a project from thin air, no prep, no origin point beyond a basic premise, and a desire to create a story. These writers can be poets, children’s writers, essayists, memoirists, etc. The way they build the final product is the key to the definition.

They spin their final copy from tiny filaments of imagination, layer on layer, until the end. During rewrite, the spinner works to fill in those empty or shallow spots with more imaginative spinning to round out the overall picture created for the reader. A word change here for more concrete imagery, a comma placed there for more emphasis and dramatic effect, all of these tweaks come with deliberation and forethought to solidify the story, regardless of the format being used.

Some critics point out that this is an inefficient method of writing. I stand as both critic and user of the method. I defend this process of writing as being more organic and freer of cumbersome formulae.

It is also an inefficient and time consuming method of writing. It’s how my mind works when in creation mode, nevertheless. Flying by the seat of my pants might be cliché, but it’s an accurate description of the method.

If a spinner like me has a gut feeling about an impulse story, the best way to tackle it is the NaNoWriMo method. I dive in and write until I come to a wall. Sometimes a wall doesn’t appear until I’ve finished the entire first draft. Those are good times. Filling in the shallow spots, and tweaking during the rewrite, adds satisfaction and anticipation into the project.

There are also times that the wall arrives just after the title and byline, before the first line of the first paragraph. This latter example comes from my not having yet decided on a project’s slant, angle, or purpose before beginning a preplanned project. The spontaneity has been removed from it, leaving me adrift.

When I’m adrift on a preplanned project, I move into Weaver mode.

Weavers

A weaver uses components from various sources to weave a story tapestry, poem, etc. In some instances the type of source isn’t as critical as the information derived from it. Interviews delving into personal experiences glean much useful information without having to be documented from still other sources, for instance.

Personal memoir pieces and personal experience essays don’t always require documentation of any kind.

When the writer works with elements that require accuracy of information, real weaving takes place within the body of a written piece. Tiny details such as a plant’s medicinal properties must be accurate. Why? There are always people who will latch onto that tidbit of info and try it out in the real world, or research it, just to verify the writer’s use of the reference.

Travel articles hold much of the weaver’s abilities. The travel writer

Well, I have some items worth sharing today. The book designer is currently working on designing the cover of the children's yoga book I am illustrating, so I will be able to post the finished cover soon, and you will be able to pre-order the book before it is actually released! Watch for more about that. You KNOW I will be promoting the book as much as I can when I am finally able. It is like waiting for the last day of school, though...I am SO antsy! This is the illustration that has been chosen for the book cover!



Remember these ribbons I designed for j.caroline creative ?

(photo courtesy of Caroline Devoy)
Caroline emailed me yesterday to ask me if I had a logo for my design work because she will be showing the ribbons at the International Quilt Market at the end on October in Houston, TX. So the logo design I came up with will be printed on stickers which will go on the ribbons at the show. I think that's pretty neat!


You can buy the ribbons here at j.caroline creative's online store , along with ribbons and fabrics created by a fellow blogger and designer I admire, Jessica Jones of "How About Orange" .

Also, I was recently interviewed by fellow illustrator John Blackford. Check out the interview on his blog right here (mine is about half way down the page), along with interviews of other illustrators. And take a look at John's fun illustrations, too!

Prints and notecards of my illustration "Happy Halloween" are now available and on sale through the month of October at my online shop ! Please go check them out, and see the other prints available. More will be added in the upcoming weeks as I get the shop ready for holiday shoppers.

©Kathleen Rietz

Finally, I wanted to show you a few of the photos I took while Joan Yoshioka was staying with me.


One thing I love about living where I do is that right outside the world-class city of Chicago, you can still find the beautiful prairie. It truly is an amazing place to live.

I took these photos at the Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary here in Schaumburg, IL.

Joan and I took hundreds of photos, so I am trying to weed though them and figure out the best forum in which to show them to you.

I will likely display more here and on our collaborative blog Potluck Sunday , and then put them all on Flickr.

I rarely post any of my design work here, but since I am adding these to my surface design portfolio on my website, I thought I might give you a taste. You can check out more of them as I post them on my website.

Yep, I do a little of everything.