Writing as a Process of Inquiry

My life has been an enlightening set of experiences including world traveler, teacher, professor, and freelance writer. As an inquisitive person who always wants to know more a common thread that runs through all my experiences is – trying to understand why things are the way they are and not some other way.

Being the curious type, with the inane ability to know how to look up information and conduct research, I soon found a quote by Johannes Kepler (1571 – 1630) who was a German astronomer who stated – Why are things as they are and not otherwise? My mentor extraordinaire!

This curiosity eventually manifested itself into the desire to write. The need has been expressed hundreds of times over the years in online articles, blog posts, journal articles, books, newsletters, and other means. My need is only satisfied with learning new things and sharing this new knowledge with others.

Wanting to know why this insatiable quest has consumed me is sometimes difficult to explain. Through research, this unquenchable thirst for new knowledge is sometimes referred to as being inquisitive or inquiring minds want to know. This is defined as the close examination of a matter in a search for information or truth and to find out why things are the way they are.

Often people, like me, are referred to as being lifelong learners. This is someone who is self-motivated to pursue knowledge for either personal or professional gain. This a good definition of who I am, a lifelong learner who always asks the question – Why?

As a lifelong learner, writing is an outlet and the central theme of the processes of inquiry. To be able to write about something, you need to question – Why? Another example is – What do I need to know? Asking questions, internalizing new information, relating to prior knowledge and experiences, and explaining it to others are all elements of this process.

Being able to explain it in your own words is fundamental to understanding why something is the way it is. Just the possession of knowledge is not enough. Real understanding only comes through expression, which is the essential component to understanding why something is the ways it is and not otherwise.

These are the components that I try to infuse in my writing and often what good writers are able to instill in their writing. The following are inner mechanisms that drive good writers and what I strive to duplicate. Good writers:

• ask initial questions about the topic they are going to write about.
• find answers through research and develop further questions that lead to further understanding.
• become an expert or at least very knowledgeable on the topic in order to explain it in written form.
• explain it in their own words so others will understand, thereby internalizing this new knowledge and information for themselves.

Writing as a process of inquiry goes hand-in-hand with understanding Johannes Kepler’s statement – Why are things the way they are and not otherwise? The ability to question, research, ask more in-depth questions, and communicate findings through written words is the foundation of writing.

These elements are essential regardless if writing non-fiction or fiction. Both require the use of the same processes of inquiry. Questioning, research, and communication!