How to Find a Writing Process that Works For You
How to Find a Writing Process that Works For You
However, because writing is a creative process, it cannot be fully systemized. You cannot expect turn out copy with the same precision and degree of excellence every time. Still, by working out a system that you can live with and one that works reasonably well, you can expect to have reasonable degree of proficiency that can be counted on.
Remember that writing systems vary from writer to writer, and even a writer that uses the same system over and over may vary their approach according to their experience on the subject and the kind of writing being done. It's difficult to pin something like writing down and give it an exact schedule that can be counted on again and again. Still, most writers go through similar phases with each project.
Procrastination, Hesitation, and Writer’s Block
The first stage of almost any writing project is, unfortunately, hesitation. Even professional writers panic a little when faced with a project. So don't beat yourself up if you have no idea where or how to start at first. This feeling is quite a common and most experts suggest that this is actually a great way to warm up to the topic that you’re writing about.
The trick is to not let this initial hesitation overcome your ability to write what needs to be written. Try setting a strict time limit for yourself—say ten or fifteen minutes of procrastination before you start a project. Allow your subconscious to take over, but only for a specific amount of time. Then jump in to the writing and don’t look back.
Planning and Organizing
The next step is where you decide what you want to say in the piece you’re working on. Before this point, you may have had a general idea, but now you need to actually figure out the message you want to communicate and the best way to do it. This step will be a lot easier if you write down all your ideas first, without evaluating or censoring them. Then you should select only those ideas that are essential to the topic or to your reader. This can be difficult, but you've got to throw away the ideas that are only marginally good so the better ones come to the forefront. Next you'll need to organize the ideas and one of the best ways to do that is to experiment with different approaches until you find one that does justice to the content.
Write Away
Writing the draft comes next and, if possible, you should write the whole first draft in one sitting. This obviously doesn’t work for longer pieces like books, but you should avoid editing yourself until you have a complete draft. Resist the temptation to get it right the first time and overwork your writing at this stage. Expect that the first draft will be rough, and revisions will always be required. Take some time after your draft is done to gain a little perspective by putting it away for as long as your deadline permits. Remember too that one of the final stages, revising the draft, may take almost as much time as it did to write the original copy.
Finding Your Rhythm
All writers develop a rhythm with experience and practice. As a new writer, the key is to stick with it and be conscious of these different phases of the writing process. When you know what it takes to get the job done, you’ll be able to work more efficiently.
How to Find a Writing Process that Works For You - To learn more about this author, visit Melinda Copp's Website.
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Writing projects often take longer than anticipated and that's simply because many writers don't have a process that helps them work efficiently. All experienced writers develop a rhythm to their work with practice and experience. They understand how they work, when they work best, and the different phases of the writing process—and they accomplish more as a result.
However, because writing is a creative process, it cannot be fully systemized. You cannot expect turn out copy with the same precision and degree of excellence every time. Still, by working out a system that you can live with and one that works reasonably well, you can expect to have reasonable degree of proficiency that can be counted on.
Remember that writing systems vary from writer to writer, and even a writer that uses the same system over and over may vary their approach according to their experience on the subject and the kind of writing being done. It's difficult to pin something like writing down and give it an exact schedule that can be counted on again and again. Still, most writers go through similar phases with each project.
Procrastination, Hesitation, and Writer’s Block
The first stage of almost any writing project is, unfortunately, hesitation. Even professional writers panic a little when faced with a project. So don't beat yourself up if you have no idea where or how to start at first. This feeling is quite a common and most experts suggest that this is actually a great way to warm up to the topic that you’re writing about.
The trick is to not let this initial hesitation overcome your ability to write what needs to be written. Try setting a strict time limit for yourself—say ten or fifteen minutes of procrastination before you start a project. Allow your subconscious to take over, but only for a specific amount of time. Then jump in to the writing and don’t look back.
Planning and Organizing
The next step is where you decide what you want to say in the piece you’re working on. Before this point, you may have had a general idea, but now you need to actually figure out the message you want to communicate and the best way to do it. This step will be a lot easier if you write down all your ideas first, without evaluating or censoring them. Then you should select only those ideas that are essential to the topic or to your reader. This can be difficult, but you've got to throw away the ideas that are only marginally good so the better ones come to the forefront. Next you'll need to organize the ideas and one of the best ways to do that is to experiment with different approaches until you find one that does justice to the content.
Write Away
Writing the draft comes next and, if possible, you should write the whole first draft in one sitting. This obviously doesn’t work for longer pieces like books, but you should avoid editing yourself until you have a complete draft. Resist the temptation to get it right the first time and overwork your writing at this stage. Expect that the first draft will be rough, and revisions will always be required. Take some time after your draft is done to gain a little perspective by putting it away for as long as your deadline permits. Remember too that one of the final stages, revising the draft, may take almost as much time as it did to write the original copy.
Finding Your Rhythm
All writers develop a rhythm with experience and practice. As a new writer, the key is to stick with it and be conscious of these different phases of the writing process. When you know what it takes to get the job done, you’ll be able to work more efficiently.
How to Find a Writing Process that Works For You - To learn more about this author, visit Melinda Copp's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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