CHAPTER 1: EMBODIED COGNITION AND WRITING

Use your world to debunk the myth of inspiration.

Why might you find writing challenging? If you believe the myth of inspiration, then you make writing difficult. The myth of inspiration makes writing difficult by presuming writing only goes on inside your mind. When you assume writing requires inspiration, you separate your mind from your world, and you dismiss your world’s role in supporting your thinking. However, embodied cognitive scientists propose another view by arguing your mind extends into your world. Your world can replace your internal cognitive processes, and in so doing your world becomes a part of your mind. Chapter 1 considers writing from both perspectives and suggests you can use ideas from embodied cognition to make writing easier.