Some of you write on Saturday's and some of you take weekend off. For those of you who are writing, or who want to do a bit of work on the issue of focus, take this challenge.
Pick one sub-section of an article, and write one hundred words there. Try not to look at the overall article at all; if you created a proper and sufficient structure, you really don't need to ever read more than your "magic paragraph" any time you enter an article. If this does not make sense, you have a skill to learn :).
Find the space you wish to work, and decide what 100 words you need to move that section forward. Focus on only writing that which moves that section forward, nothing more.
There are times when freewriting and using writing as a method of inquiry is essential, but we have to develop the capacity for focus.
After you write, answer these self reflective questions.
1) How did this focus improve your article?
2) What got in the way, if anything, of your ability to focus on one section?
3) Does your work have enough structure that you are able to do this type of exercise well?
4) Identify the "tapes" in your head that may have made this challenging.
Pick one sub-section of an article, and write one hundred words there. Try not to look at the overall article at all; if you created a proper and sufficient structure, you really don't need to ever read more than your "magic paragraph" any time you enter an article. If this does not make sense, you have a skill to learn :).
Find the space you wish to work, and decide what 100 words you need to move that section forward. Focus on only writing that which moves that section forward, nothing more.
There are times when freewriting and using writing as a method of inquiry is essential, but we have to develop the capacity for focus.
After you write, answer these self reflective questions.
1) How did this focus improve your article?
2) What got in the way, if anything, of your ability to focus on one section?
3) Does your work have enough structure that you are able to do this type of exercise well?
4) Identify the "tapes" in your head that may have made this challenging.
I like the 100-word challenge!! Thanks for sharing (and connecting with me on Twitter/@ejuc8or). My question to you is about the "proper and sufficient structure" and the need to NOT have to look at the entire article in order to write the "magic paragraph." I am more inductive in my thinking and don't always know that I want to say something until I have said it. Meaning, I often times think I am going to write one thing (hence the outline) and find the finished (improved) product slightly different from the original structure/outline. Have you written about this notion (which is meaningful by the way) of creating the proper and sufficient structure?
ReplyDeleteGreat questions; I will post on this within the next few days or so :). Thanks for responding to my blog!!! Proper response VERY soon :)
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