A series of eleven tips to help you get more time for writing, and to produce more writing when you do have time. Write during the writing stage. Edit during the editing stage. Even though both activities involve a writer sitting at the keyboard staring at the screen, Writing and Editing are two very different processes. Each one requires a separate set of skills and talents; each uses a different part of your brain—the creative part and the analytical part. Learn to recognize the difference, and teach yourself to focus on only one process at a time. Writing is the...
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Writing Productivity Tip #7—KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WRITING & EDITING
A series of eleven tips to help you get more time for writing, and to produce more writing when you do have time. Write during the writing stage. Edit during the editing stage. Even though both activities involve a writer sitting at the keyboard staring at the screen, Writing and Editing are two very different processes. Each one requires a separate set of skills and talents; each uses a different part of your brain—the creative part and the analytical part. Learn to recognize the difference, and teach yourself to focus on only one process at a time. Writing is the...
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Along with my brother-in-law Tim, I have hiked hundreds of trail miles and climbed many mountains. It’s where I get inspired for many of my story ideas and exotic settings. Two years ago, as a gift for special friends and family members, we produced a calendar of photos and stories about our experiences in the mountains. For 2011, we’ve done another one, this time focusing on our adventures in the rugged and beautiful deserts of the American Southwest—Death Valley, Canyonlands, Arches, Great Sand Dunes, Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, and other locations. We decided to make a few extra copies of...
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Writing Productivity TIP #6—SET GOALS FOR YOURSELF…AND STICK TO THEM
A series of eleven tips to help you get more time for writing, and to produce more writing when you do have time. I’m a goal-oriented person. Give me a target, or a list, and I’ll set out to accomplish the task, milestone by milestone. When I moved to Colorado, I got a book listing all 54 mountain peaks in the state higher than 14,000 ft, along with hiking or climbing routes to each summit. I immediately made up my mind to climb all of them—and I did. Castle Peak (14,265 ft) near Aspen, CO Similarly, if you set yourself...
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