There are many factors that one must consider before, during, and after the writing process. This is what Donald M. Murray, author of the essay “The Interior View” tries to convey. A large amount of work must be done before hand to make sure what is being written is interesting to readers, and portrayed in the way it is supposed to be. Otherwise, the work will be meaningless and uninteresting. A writer must prepare before writing, listen to others critiques, and understand things that a non-writer cannot, before they pick up a pen.

While people may assume that writing is simple and can done quickly, it actually is a long and drawn out process that goes from before the writing begins, to long after it is finished. “My personal exploration of the writing process is supported by an almost lifelong study of the testimony of other writers.” (Murray 25) Murray draws in inspiration from other famous works that he has read through out his life, and uses what he has learned to improve his own work. In order to improve their own writing styles, writers must be willing to study other works in order to improve themselves. If a writer tries to just jump in without studying writing as an art, then their works will be boring and void of any deeper meaning, which will turn potential readers away from any other works they might put out. 

Readers, critics, and anyone of the like are also very important to the writing process. Even though it is important to have an idea what a piece of written work means to the author, it is also important to see how the readers interpret the work. “The critic, the scholar, the scientist of language and form, all make contributions to the understanding of writing. We all learn … from what perceptive readers see in a piece of writing, and we can gain new insights into old problems…” (Murray 25). The writing process does not end when the composition is finished. The writer still must be engaged in order to learn from their readers, and improve their writing techniques for the future.

While a piece of written work must be understandable to the average reader, a writer has to be able to understand writing in a way that non-writers are not able to. When an average person sees a phrase written out, they usually can interpret it in one or two ways. A writer should be able to look at a phrase and think of several different ways that someone else could interpret it. Murray explores the phrase “A writer is an individual who uses language to discover meaning in experience and communicate it.” He then is able to dissect the sentence into four sections, and explain it from the point of view of a writer. Murray goes into further detail by saying “Let’s see if we can wriggle into the skin of the writer and explore the meaning of this sentences from that point of view.” (Murray 26) This is an example of how writers have an entirely different ways of interpreting texts than non-writers do.

Writing is a difficult process, and not one that can my improvised and still be done well. While writing, the writer must constantly be aware of what they are doing, and use what they have learned in order to make their work interesting to the reader. They must also be able to learn from other people, whether they are high ranked scholars, or just a reader. Finally, a writer must be able to understand passages in a way that other people cannot. The way Murray talks about his own experience with writing, and writing in general, proves that writing can only be done well if one is willing to put in the proper amount of time, and is passionate about it. 