Your Evolutionary Path As A Writer

Evolutionary biologists theorize that biological evolution on earth occurred in two possible manners: (1) Punctuated Equilibrium or (2) Phyletic Gradualism. These two schools of thought on evolution can be applied to a writer's career; well, my experiences as a writer so far at least!

Punctuated Equilibrium - Species undergo little change over the course of geological time until a rapid change causes them to evolve into a new species.

Writers may experience this theory of evolution in either their ability as a writer overall or in a particular piece of writing. The event(s) that cause the change (hopefully a positive change) may range for each individual. Here are some examples of events that have caused a drastic sudden change in my writing:

1. After the birth of my daughter I did not write for a few months. The experience of being a mother brought a radical new change and perspective into my life. The time away from writing also gave me a giant gap of time to step away from my writing. When I returned to my writing I found it to have improved greatly. My writing was sharper, more creative, and better suited for the market's needs.

2. In the late-fall of 2008 my husband, daughter, dog, and I packed up our house in British Columbia, drove across the U.S. (stopping in MN and PA to see grandparents), and moved into our new home outside of Washington, D.C. The long drive and change of living environment was a difficult adjustment for our high-spirited daughter, so once again I had a break of about three months from my writing. When I returned to it I was amazed to find that my ability as a writer grew even more, almost at an exponential rate compared to the first time.

These two punctuated events helped me evolve into a writer that is more capable of surviving. But it would be ignorant of me to believe that I have not been changing and growing as a writer slowly.

Phyletic Gradualism - Species change gradually and continually over time by adapting to changes in a uniform manner.

One of the most common pieces of advice writers receive is to write, write, write. The more we write the better we become. There are numerous experiences we adapt to and learn from as writers that don't drastically change our writing style or a particular writing project over night, but slowly enhance or direct our writing into a new fashion. Below are some examples of gradual influences that have helped me to evolve as a writer:


1. The Institute of Children's Literature course
2. Discussion boards at SCBWI and VerlaKay.
3. Writing on this blog.
4. Working on writing pieces that range from children's fiction to non-fiction science to young-adult fiction to non-fiction education to poetry.
5. Attending a SCBWI conference in Western Washington.
6. Reading a wide range of books.
7. Following various blogs on writing, publishing, editing and more.
8. Creating and actively doing writing lessons to improve my writing ability.


Although the first type of evolution (punctuated equilibrium) was the eye-opening experience of seeing how far I've come as a writer, I know that without the gradual changes provided by the second type of evolution (phyletic gradualism) I would not be where I am today. I also know that because I have come so far in my ability as a writer, I have a lot further to go. Although biological evolution does not occur in one particular pre-determined direction, I do hope that my writing will continue to evolve in the positive direction so that one day it is worthy of being published and shared with others.


What major events in your life have altered you as a writer in a rapid, drastic way?


What gradual events in your life have helped you to develop slowly as a writer?