Simple Solutions For Writing Paralysis
Copyright 2002 Jason Anderson
I find writing to be like pulling teeth.
Now don't get me wrong. I enjoy writing - when
I've finished doing it. And I'm a quick typist, so
the actual typing bit takes no time at all.
But for some reason the process of putting words
to paper (whether it is an article, email,
editorial, etc) is an exercise in frustration.
I know that I'm not alone.
In case you have the same problems that I do,
here are some of the methods I use to overcome the
writing paralysis.
Do your research first
Sometimes the reason it is difficult to write is
because you don't know enough about what you are
writing about.
If you are finding it difficult to write about
your chosen topic, perhaps you need to do some more
research. When you know your topic inside out, it
is much easier to write about it.
If instead you are writing about an idea you
had, perhaps you haven't thought the idea through.
Take a bit more time to think about the subject -
preferably well away from where you write, so you
don't feel under pressure to get words to
paper!
Outline what you are writing
My english teacher used to go on about this in
high school when we had to write essays - and I
never listened! Now I've come to realise how useful
an outline is.
An outline gives you a direction for your
writing - a defined path. Without it, you tend to
wander aimlessly, and your writing ends up
disjointed.
The outline doesn't have to be long - just a
word or two on each of the points you want to cover
is enough to keep you on track.
Write first, edit later
This is an easy trap to fall into (and probably
the one that gets me the most). You spend so much
time trying to get each sentence perfect that you
never get anywhere!
On your first pass, don't worry about what you
are writing. Just write, no matter how disjointed
or 'incorrect' the result is. Get the words
down.
You will have plenty of time later to come back
and edit things together.
Forget your current topic
Called freewriting or brainstorming, writing
down anything that you happen to think about (no
matter what it is) is a good way to get yourself
writing. You don't need to write complete sentences
- just ideas and fragments are fine.
You don't even have to write about your current
topic. Just get the transfer of words from your
brain to the paper starting to happen.
The important thing when doing this is to keep
writing. Don't let yourself stop. Even if you have
to write "um, ah" a lot, keep the pen (or keys)
moving!
Many successful authors start each day by doing
this.
Allow time for editing
Once you have written your piece, let it rest
for a time (a day is good - several days is even
better if you have the time). Then go back and edit
what you originally wrote.
Who knows - the piece of writing that you
thought was terrible (because you weren't stopping
to edit) might actually be better than you
thought!
These ideas have helped me in the past with my
writing. I hope they help you too.
---
Jason is the editor of Achieve Net Profits, where
he interviews professional Internet marketers each
week. Short cut your road to success by learning
from the experts! New subscribers receive 3 FREE
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