25 min
How to Get Un-Stuck: Tips for the Writing Process Create If Writing
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- Books
When is the last time you thought about the writing process? Or, more specifically, YOUR writing process?
The older I get, the more I know myself and understand how to tweak the writing process to fit what works for me. The writing process could really be called a system, the way we think of systems in business. Systems are simply the process, method, or course of action to get a desired result, especially consistently over time.
When we get to know ourselves better and how we work, we can tweak our writing process to work better for us. We write more, better, faster.
Check out Derek's video where he shares a small box with big ideas, plus some of the secrets of his writing process! (Then come on back for more on process.)
For more great, daily content, I would highly recommend subscribing to Derek's channel! He's really ramping it up this year and sharing a lot of behind-the-scenes looks at life as an entrepreneur. LOOSE STEPS OF THE WRITING PROCESS You could break down the writing process in any number of ways, but I'm going to put it into four very loose steps:
Collect ideas Write judgment-free drafts Edit ruthlessly Rest and then perfect For the first two, you need to be really kind and generous to yourself, but in the last two, you must be ruthless. Let's break that down!
COLLECT IDEAS The enemy of the writer is the blank page. This very common saying speaks to the fact that writers often struggle with the start.
It makes me think of the law of inertia, which states that an object at rest will remain there. Objects in motion will continue in motion. That start can take a lot out of you.
BUT WHY?
Often the start is difficult because we don't have ideas. Or we aren't sure where to begin with the ideas we have. This is when we can fall prey to distraction or what Stephen Pressfield calls the Resistance in his book, The War of Art.
You can help your start along if you have ideas. The page may still be blank, but your BRAIN isn't. The problem is that we aren't always as observant as we should be and we don't think about collecting ideas like we should.
Derek shared a few ways that he collects ideas on the run in his video. Here are some things that you can try!
You could:
Keep a box for notecards with quotes Have a notebook handy at all times Download an app that's easy to use for notes like Evernote or the notes app If you are constantly observing and stockpiling ideas, you can avoid so much trouble at the start! Once you have an idea, it's time to move onto stage two.
WRITE JUDGMENT-FREE DRAFTS I feel strongly that in the drafting process, you need to get out of your own way. You don't judge your ideas but let them flow. At least (and especially) in the first drafts.
Create a vomit version Write drafts by hand (which slows you down and may help clarify) Write down the page (kind of like making a list of ideas, scenes, descriptions, bits of dialogue) Don't have judgment in your drafts When you edit during your drafts and restrict the flow of your free-flowing thoughts, we may miss out on something that is in the back of consciousness. Connect with the page. No judgment.
If you're still struggling with this, two thoughts. The first? Do what works for you. But...the second: don't write this off too quickly. If you haven't tried letting it all out and are used to editing as you go, just TRY this.
Consider Upworthy. You know, the site with all the viral posts that were all over your Facebook feed a year or two ago. They write 25 potential headlines per post. Check out this Slideshare from Upworthy, particularly slides 33 & 34.
Without letting out your bad drafts, you're missing something.
Oh, and according to editor and author of the Story Grid, Shawn Coyne, you shouldn't edit this at all until you COMPLETELY FINISH.
(I don't always agree with that, but I'll save why for another day.)
Now you've got some content on the page. It may or may not be good, but it's THERE. Time for stage three.
EDI
When is the last time you thought about the writing process? Or, more specifically, YOUR writing process?
The older I get, the more I know myself and understand how to tweak the writing process to fit what works for me. The writing process could really be called a system, the way we think of systems in business. Systems are simply the process, method, or course of action to get a desired result, especially consistently over time.
When we get to know ourselves better and how we work, we can tweak our writing process to work better for us. We write more, better, faster.
Check out Derek's video where he shares a small box with big ideas, plus some of the secrets of his writing process! (Then come on back for more on process.)
For more great, daily content, I would highly recommend subscribing to Derek's channel! He's really ramping it up this year and sharing a lot of behind-the-scenes looks at life as an entrepreneur. LOOSE STEPS OF THE WRITING PROCESS You could break down the writing process in any number of ways, but I'm going to put it into four very loose steps:
Collect ideas Write judgment-free drafts Edit ruthlessly Rest and then perfect For the first two, you need to be really kind and generous to yourself, but in the last two, you must be ruthless. Let's break that down!
COLLECT IDEAS The enemy of the writer is the blank page. This very common saying speaks to the fact that writers often struggle with the start.
It makes me think of the law of inertia, which states that an object at rest will remain there. Objects in motion will continue in motion. That start can take a lot out of you.
BUT WHY?
Often the start is difficult because we don't have ideas. Or we aren't sure where to begin with the ideas we have. This is when we can fall prey to distraction or what Stephen Pressfield calls the Resistance in his book, The War of Art.
You can help your start along if you have ideas. The page may still be blank, but your BRAIN isn't. The problem is that we aren't always as observant as we should be and we don't think about collecting ideas like we should.
Derek shared a few ways that he collects ideas on the run in his video. Here are some things that you can try!
You could:
Keep a box for notecards with quotes Have a notebook handy at all times Download an app that's easy to use for notes like Evernote or the notes app If you are constantly observing and stockpiling ideas, you can avoid so much trouble at the start! Once you have an idea, it's time to move onto stage two.
WRITE JUDGMENT-FREE DRAFTS I feel strongly that in the drafting process, you need to get out of your own way. You don't judge your ideas but let them flow. At least (and especially) in the first drafts.
Create a vomit version Write drafts by hand (which slows you down and may help clarify) Write down the page (kind of like making a list of ideas, scenes, descriptions, bits of dialogue) Don't have judgment in your drafts When you edit during your drafts and restrict the flow of your free-flowing thoughts, we may miss out on something that is in the back of consciousness. Connect with the page. No judgment.
If you're still struggling with this, two thoughts. The first? Do what works for you. But...the second: don't write this off too quickly. If you haven't tried letting it all out and are used to editing as you go, just TRY this.
Consider Upworthy. You know, the site with all the viral posts that were all over your Facebook feed a year or two ago. They write 25 potential headlines per post. Check out this Slideshare from Upworthy, particularly slides 33 & 34.
Without letting out your bad drafts, you're missing something.
Oh, and according to editor and author of the Story Grid, Shawn Coyne, you shouldn't edit this at all until you COMPLETELY FINISH.
(I don't always agree with that, but I'll save why for another day.)
Now you've got some content on the page. It may or may not be good, but it's THERE. Time for stage three.
EDI
25 min