Author
Interview: Dr. Paul Witt –– TCU Communication
Studies Department
By
Hanna Arstein, Catie Callaway, and Mary Claire Walsh
I: Hi, Okay, I think it is working. So
who or what inspires you as an author?
Dr. Witt: Who or what inspires me? Um…
What I go to…What I write, by the way, is scholarly research articles, okay?
I: Mmmhmm
Dr. Witt: That’s the kind of writing
that I do. And so who inspires me are my collegues when I go to a conference
and I hear them present their research. It is very inspiring to me to go back
and do research on my own.
I: That's cool. Who or what motivates
you as an author?
Dr. Witt: What motivates me? Well, the
university requires us to do that kind of work, okay? So to keep my job, I am
supposed to write, and so that's what I do. *laughter* It is very motivating!
I: *laughter* What authors and/or books
have influenced you as an author the most?
Dr. Witt: Well my mentor in graduate
school was a nationally known researcher and he taught me how to write in this
style. After I got my degree, Dr. Schrodt is one of the best writers of this
kind of work, and he helped me and taught me what he knows as well.
I: Um… Most often were and when and how
do you write?
Dr. Witt: Right here. This is it. My
little reary end is attached to this chair right here*laughter* and it stays here for hours on end *laughter*
I: How has tech… er… how has technology
changing print culture, specifically regarding authors and readers?
Dr. Witt: Well, we are having more and
more scholarly journals go online now, whereas they have always been print
journals before. We are still doing print and print journals carry more
prestige, but there are more and more of them going online.
I: When you write, who is your intended
audience?
Dr. Witt: Other eggheads like me. Other
professors and researchers that read. We will read each others' work.
I: How has the current technological
revolution changed your audience?
Dr. Witt: Uh… I don't think it is
changing my audience. It does make our work more accessible because graduate
students or undergraduate students can go online and click click click and have
an article. In the old days, you had to go to the library and search the
shelves and find and pull out the journal and read it.
I: Yeah! What do you think reading and
authorship will look like fifty years from now?
Dr. Witt: Yeah, I saw that question.
Fifty years from now, I don’t k now! I'm not…I'm not going to be here. It is
going to be your problem, not mine! *laughter* Fifty years from now, I don't
know, I suppose there is a possibility
that there will be very few print publications. I hope that's not the case, but
it is possible
I: Yeah, how did you find a publisher
and how long did the process take?
Dr. Witt: When I write an article I have
the publishing…the publication outlet in mind. I already know where I want to
send it so I write in a style that they approve of. So usually, I select the
publication before I do the article and then I write to suit their standards
and there is not very much editing that takes place after that. There are some
things, but not much.
I: So how much did your manuscript
change after your publishers editorial process? Not much?
Dr. Witt: Just polishing details
usually, mmhmm.
I: Do you have a definite or specific
organization structure in mind as you begin writing? Oh, I guess you already
answered that, so I guess you do.
Dr. Witt: Yeah, there is kind of a
format. If you send it to one journal they want it this way. If you send it to
another journal, they want it that way. You just kind of learn how to meet
their requirements.
I: How would you describe your writing
process?
Dr. Witt: Well, it has changed a little
over the years. I am a perfectionist, I want every word in every sentence to be
perfect. So in the beginning, it took me a long long time to write. I would
spend a half of day on a page or two. Well, you can't really do that, so
someone told me along the way, "Just put your thoughts down. Just type as
fast as you can and don't worry if it is correct or not." So you put all
your thoughts down on paper and THEN you can go back and edit. When I started
doing that, it went faster and it was much more enjoyable.
I: Do you have any writing habits or
rituals that help your writing process?
Dr. Witt: It is my habit to work on
Saturdays or Sundays when there is no one around.
I: Yeah, then there is no rush.
Dr. Witt: mmhmm, yeah. There are no
interruptions, no noise. You know, I just…I just get in the zone and just do
it.
I: Do you write in multiple genres?
Dr. Witt: Well, yeah, surprisingly I do.
I: Oh, really?
Dr. Witt: I have written a textbook for
one of my courses, well for the Character course.
I: Oh cool!
Dr. Witt: And it is very different. It
is not scholarly writing and it is not in that formulaic style at all. And it
was refreshing to do that. It was kind of in a conversational, self help kind
of style.
I: What was your first publication? And
what do you think of this publication
now?
Dr. Witt: *laughter* The first one was
in 1999, and it was an article for a journal and I co authored it with my
mentor who was teaching me how to do this. And at the time, I thought it was
mostly hot air; I did not think it was substantial, but as I learned what
research really is like, I go back to it and see that, yeah, it was good work.
It was a good first step.
I: So, besides teaching and authorship,
have you had any other jobs in the writing field?
Dr. Witt: Yes, uh, currently I am
editing a six hundred page reference
logium.
I: Oh, wow!
Dr. Witt: So it is huge! It is the
biggest work I have ever been involved in. It involves recruiting 30 authors
from around the world, each one contributing a chapter to this logium. They
send their manuscripts to me, and I correct them and edit them and send them
back for revisions.
I: That’s a lot!
Dr. Witt: Ultimately, the logium will be
published with my name on it, so, its huge!
I: That's a big deal, that’s exciting!
Okay, that's the last question.
Dr. Witt: Okay! Did you get what you
needed?
I: Yup! But I don't think I will be the
next Katie Couric. Thank you for your time!
