by Ben Phocas
Writing for a military publication may seem like a daunting or unattainable goal for a novice writer. Stereotypes about military writing–and writers in general–abound. They only reinforce tentative writers’ reservations about putting their experiences and knowledge into words.
Few of these stereotypes are true. Military writing can be, is, and should be a collective experience by and for servicemembers of all stripes, for the benefit of others and stewardship of the profession. There is no benchmark to entry. No minimum number of combat deployments, commands held, or graduate degrees are required to join this club. You are not required to first become Secretary James Mattis, and then write. If your experiences could have an impact on even a single trooper, then they are worth sharing. The only requirements for entry are an idea, a passion, and a pen (or keyboard).
I know this firsthand—because I’m a cadet. As of writing this, I have not deployed, I have not been a platoon leader, and I don’t even have a college diploma. I actually wrote my first article as a freshman, after wearing the uniform for less than a year, wholly unqualified to talk about much outside of what it was like to be at West Point during a pandemic. This became my first topic. It wasn’t particularly groundbreaking. But afterwards I felt a sense of self-confidence in my ability to both think and share my thoughts. Also it felt nice to know that people thought my ideas were coherent enough to publish.
Since then, I have become involved in the study of urban warfare, and have published several more articles on that subject and others. Despite my inexperience, I was given the opportunity, and institutional support from peers and superiors, to write my observations and publish them. I hope to help others better understand developing challenges. Writing has equally contributed to my own development as a young leader.
If I can do it, so can you. The purpose of this article is to provide an easy, uncomplicated model to help prospective military writers take the first steps in their writing careers.
1. Picking a topic: This first step to any writing is to find a topic. This step is deceptively easy. Really, picking a topic boils down to two important items. First, pick a topic you’re genuinely passionate about. You’re going to have to spend some time and brainspace thinking and writing about it, so it should at least be something you are interested in. This will also help your ability to argue your point more effectively. Secondly, while it is important to be passionate about the subject, do not become so entrenched in your view or stance on the topic that you cannot accept feedback or criticism during the editing process, and post-publication.
2. Scoping your topic and picking an audience: The next step is to scope that topic. There are two parts of scoping your topic. Part one is to not bite off more than you can chew; narrow your broad topic of choice into a specific thesis that you can discuss within the parameters of an article. Many topics are simply too complex to fit within a single article, so they have to be broken down into smaller pieces and defeated in detail. Some topics can be viewed from different levels of war, depending on the reader.
Which leads to the next part of scoping: finding the right audience. Who will most want to know about what you are writing? Who do you want to write this article for? These questions will guide your angle of analysis, writing style, and intended publication. If you scope your article to focus on tactical levels of warfare, then you should target it to tactical level practitioners, tailor your writing accordingly, and submit to military journals and publications reaching that audience. For example, articles on tactical urban warfare wouldn’t be a great fit on sites such as War on the Rocks, but on sites such as MWI and the Company Leader, discussions on real-time tactical urban combat will likely find more interested readers.
3. Writing: Okay, now you have a topic, you’ve narrowed your scope to fit the topic into an article, and you’ve tailored your analysis in order to deliver it to a target audience. Now this topic must be packaged and mailed, via the written word. The best thing I could say about writing is to write like yourself, but also challenge yourself in your writing. Your writing should be easily readable. But that does not mean it has to use the same words and phrases as when you talk. Don’t be afraid to use (some) new words. Try to craft fresh and eloquent sentences. Bring some character into your writing. This exercise is challenging—and fun!
With that said, it absolutely takes a concerted effort to overcome inertia to begin writing. The great military author Stephen Pressfield talks about the ‘Resistance’ that keeps writers from achieving their potential. For military writers already burdened with countless mission essential and nonessential tasks, it is certainly easy to procrastinate writing and focus on more important things. This is not a bad thing, and is part of the process. Sometimes it takes me months to finish a piece because I’m just busy. Writing requires deliberately scheduled, dedicated time, and sometimes self-imposed deadlines, to overcome that inertia and just write. Your first draft may not be very good, and that’s okay. Getting words on paper, and doing the physical process of writing, is the most important part.
4. Editing: Once your first draft is written, the hardest part is truly over. Now the editing process can begin. This is where written thoughts transform into actual prose. Sentences can be revised and words can be buffed up through an editor or even through digital editing tools, but this can only be done if there are actual words on the page. So trust the process, and identify and overcome the resistance. Writing is rewriting.
Do not be afraid of the editing process. Editing is as easy as you make it. Remember as said during topic choice, don’t get so tied to it that you can’t accept criticism. A good editor will poke holes in your argument. They will challenge your assumptions and arguments, and a good one will cover your paragraphs in red pen. However, this is actually a great opportunity to develop yourself as a writer. Getting that feedback is crucial to improving. It just takes a thick skin and some humility. So remember that for the vast majority of editors, it’s not personal and they are there to improve your piece of writing so that only the best version gets published.
On the other hand, if you feel that an editor is not supporting your goals, don’t be afraid to find a new site to submit to, and do not take their criticism to heart. I personally have gotten lucky and only had one editor (a double blind peer reviewer) tell me that my writing was so abysmal that I should forever lay down my pen. Did I take it to heart and give up writing to become a farmer? Clearly not since you’re reading this!
I hope this will help someone out there. Even if just one person reading this decides to open up a word document or notebook and jot a few lines, it will have been worth it!
Ben Phocas is a cadet at the United States Military Academy, where he majors in Defense and Strategic Studies. He branched Military Intelligence with an Armor detail. He is an intern at the National Center for Urban Operations.
(Not Endorsed by USMA, the Army, or DOD)
