On meandering

As I mentioned in class the other day, though, formlessness is not necessarily a problem in a personal essay. Meandering can work--as long as as the meandering is interesting.

So, what is interesting? I think it is a good idea to try to anticipate the hard questions your readers may want to ask you about your subject. If your meandering takes you away from answering hard questions, then it may be counterproductive. Generally, it's better to meander towards risk, towards danger, and towards revelation, rather than to wander away from them. And once you've meandered into interesting terrain, details are crucial.

In any case, the more you write and the more you share your writing with others, the better sense you'll have of what your readers will find interesting.

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