How do you schedule your writing time each day? How much time do you spend handling emails? What happens when you get a backlog of other work – do you put aside the writing altogether? The distractions of daily life can derail writing, stealing the time, focus, and attention you need for creative work. In his […]
Writing
Does Loss Aversion Prevent You From Writing?
“I want to write a book, but I’m worried about how long it will take to recoup the investment of time and money. And what if I never do?” “I started on a book, but another interesting project popped up, so I’ve stuck it in a drawer for the future.” Do either of these statements sound […]
Writing in the Workplace: Abstract Concepts
Abstract concepts encapsulate many ideas into one word. Shoes and boots become footwear. The set of politicians includes local mayors as well as heads of state. Mothers and fathers are, more generally, parents. Abstractions are absolutely essential for achieving any of the following goals with your writing: Making conclusions or inferences based on varied evidence Demonstrating mastery of complex topics […]
Have Faith in Your Muse But Trust Your Process
Imagine for a moment that someone offers you the job that you’ve always dreamed of. But there’s a catch – you’ll have to work closely with someone else in the role. In fact, you’ll be job-sharing with this person. You start asking around about this other person, and discover that she doesn’t show up for meetings, but pops […]
Advice for Marketing Writers: A Podcast Interview
Writing is a critical skill for marketers, especially for those in businesses pursuing content marketing strategies. But it’s only part of the job, easily overshadowed by the constant distractions of the open office, the immediate gratification of social media and online analytics, and interruptions of always-on connectivity. Pressed to create more and better content, how […]
Fast, Fluid, and Fearless: Training your Freewriting
Freewriting fills a critical role in my personal writing process. By freewriting, I mean the act of writing about a topic quickly and fluidly, without stopping to censor or revise. I use the technique to conduct “inner research” into what I already know (or want to find out) about a topic, and to prime the creative pump for future work. […]