By John Wyman, EAA 462533, Chapter 266 Montreal
Bits and Pieces editor Ian Brown suggested I submit something, even after I first said there wasn’t anything in the pipe for this month’s issue. He prompted me with an email. I guess that’s part of an editor’s job. It isn’t easy to come up with a subject every month.
When I set out a year ago to write, at least for a year, I knew I had something to say and more than a few comments on where we are at with the homebuilding/GA community and flying in Canada. Some others kindly suggested that I get my ideas down on paper and give it a try. Here now are my thoughts on what I like about writing and the creative process of coming up with subjects that enlighten and engage our readers. Perhaps, the most challenging task is picking a subject to debate. As I said in my intro a year ago, I wanted to strive toward debating what general aviation is and where it’s headed. It’s difficult picking a side. It is often hard to debate upbeat subjects. After all, a lot of times, everyone focuses on the sensational, sometimes, negative stuff, like taxes and paperwork. Sometimes what you think may be interesting isn’t necessarily so to the readership. Sometimes it is the opposite. You might answer a suggestion with, “Oh, that’s too boring,” but it comes as a surprise, after you write about it, that that subject turns out to be the most popular! It’s often harder to write about what someone suggests vs. you coming up with the subject. When you are inspired, the words follow. It is nice when my other half does come up with something relative to the crowd without me arduously thinking about it. So some credit has to go to her for inspiring the articles (so far) and for proofreading them before they go to Ian.
Ian has done a great job as editor. His almost monthly requests for articles are a call to action for everyone to get involved. They say that it takes a village to raise a child. I think it takes that same group effort to keep our skies free – that if more people get involved, then the obstacles to ever-increasing restrictions can be challenged. It takes a commitment to get involved in flying. Just getting the word out is a big part of that. Passing along your experiences, even if it’s just in a local chapter’s newsletter, can instill that sense of belonging that is often amiss. The airport can also be a quiet place. Many local townspeople often don’t know it’s there. That can be a blessing and a curse, especially if some local opponents think it detracts from the community. This is where getting the written word out helps everyone. So, it’s come as a bit of a surprise to me that I have been able to consecutively write 12 articles without harping about the same ol’ rants – or, at least, I think I haven’t done that too much? With any luck, I should be able to come up with new material. If you do have a suggestion, feel free to chime in and send it off to Ian for follow-up. I’ll do my best to research it out before writing, so that the facts are correct. A few people have recently thanked me for the articles. That’s really appreciated. I do my best to squeeze in what I can about flying, as I see it, calling a spade a spade. Being concise is not easy. My childhood neighbor, Jon Verkade, who influenced my writing more than anyone said, “Saying less is saying more.” I say that a lot when I write, often grappling with keeping it short and sweet. Anyone who knows me knows that I can be long-winded. There…I recognize that. Don’t tie me to the rails…
Laying out the articles is also challenging. Our school teachers taught us the basics when they said that we had to break it down into an intro, body, and conclusion. But back then, we never had much to talk about, especially when we had to write on a subject that we weren’t interested in. Who really wants to do that? You’re forced to take a deeper look into what you’ve just read (in the case of book “reports”) – and pull something from that, that the teacher hadn’t noticed or talk of a perspective that they didn’t have. That is dissecting something. It feels more like a biology class than one on “writing.” General aviation is a bit different that way. We are all kind of cut from the same block of cheese. We have the same obstacles and mountains to climb. It is easier to talk to the same crowd. But writer’s block is still there. Let me elaborate.
We’ve all been caught at one time or another with our pants down, in a jam, and we have to look for solutions to the problem. A few years ago, Ron, a friend of mine out at the airport, would encouragingly bellow out to my daughter on the glider flightline, “What’s the solution Emily!?!” when she (or someone else) had a puzzled look on their face as to what they should do next in the operation. Ron was good that way – always looking for a solution to a problem vs. just harping about it. Inevitably, that same expression has come to me when I have been at an impasse with writer’s block. I ask, “How can I come up with a solution?” What’s the subject? Lay it out, finish it up, tie up the loose ends, make it read well. Above all, proofread it until you’re blue in the face. I sort of do this as I go along. It keeps you more on point and focused on what you’re trying to get across or if you like, give the reader a sense of where you are. This is the stage that I like most, where you feel in the groove. The hard work has been done. Now, it’s only up to you, the writer, to clean things up. That makes me think of a takeoff. Gear up. Flaps up. Set climb speed. Off we go.
Unfortunately, there weren’t any photos of cool airplanes to look at in this article. A typewriter will have to suffice. I did briefly contemplate carrying one out to the airport (yes, I still have one) and hold it on my lap in the Pitts for the ultimate shot – a rather tight proposal. Maybe next time?
John Wyman, EAA 462533, Chapter 266 Montreal, is a passionate aviator. When he isn’t in the saddle at the airline, he can be found out at the airfield doing any number of things. He likes to fly gliders, practice aerobatics, work on airplanes, and fix stuff.