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Archive for the ‘Writing Process’ Category
Monday, May 7th, 2012
I am so delighted to be holding my Writer’s Compass Workshop LIVE in Denver on Saturday, May 12, at the historic Denver Woman’s Press Club clubhouse from 9:30am to noon!
Are you writing an article, book, ezine or series of blog posts? If you’re wondering where to start with your writing project or how to get back on track—and stay on course—this is the workshop for you!
The Writer’s Compass Workshop gives you proven techniques that will help keep your writing progressing smoothly from start to finish.
Click here for all the details.
Tags: Denver, Denver Woman's Press Club, Writer's Compass Workshop, writing techniques, writing workshop
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Monday, March 5th, 2012
© 2012 Rose Muenker
Reference materials and writing equipment are the tools of the writing trade that make the writing process effective and efficient. When you have them handy, you save yourself from a lot of wasted time and motion. When you don’t have them handy, you risk putting your writing in a frustrating and wasteful stop-and-go pattern.
Before you start a writing project, take an inventory of the reference materials, tools and equipment necessary to complete it effectively. Your needs can be as basic as an inspiring journal and favorite pen to chronicle your travels or as technical as voice activation software to “write” your first draft.
Reference Materials
Which reference materials do you frequently use? Organize them on your desk or computer for easy access. Perhaps you have a favorite online dictionary. If so, have it up on your browser. Or perhaps you have a list of the words that you tend to misspell or misuse. Keep it handy, especially for the revision stage of your writing.
Here’s a reference materials checklist to get you started on your customized list:
- Dictionary (print or online)
- Thesaurus (print or online)
- Grammar and syntax reference materials (print or online)
- Glossary of terms relevant to your topic
- Reference articles or links to them
- Research notes
- Interview notes and quotations
- Theme statement for this writing endeavor
- Storyboard or outline
- Character descriptions
Before each writing session, gather the reference materials needed to minimize interruptions to your writing flow.
Writing Tools and Equipment
Many writers use different tools and equipment for different stages of their writing process. For example, some write their first drafts longhand. Their tools and equipment for this stage are a notebook or tablet of paper and their preferred writing instrument. Others write everything on a computer.
Likewise, some writers dictate everything from ideas to drafts and final manuscripts on a recorder or voice activated software, which they later have transcribed. Other writers print out their drafts so they can read and revise them in print form before they do revisions on a computer.
What tools and equipment do you use for the different stages of the writing process? Be sure you have exactly what you need when you need it. And be sure your equipment is set up to support your efforts. For example, if you will be using your printer, make sure it has paper and sufficient ink.
Conclusion
The writing process technique “Gather Your Writing Resources” is simple and basic but easily overlooked. When you take a few minutes to gather your writing tools and equipment and make sure they are in working order, you will help your writing process flow more smoothly and productively.
Tags: writing equipment, writing reference materials, writing resources, writing tools
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Monday, March 5th, 2012
© 2012 Rose Muenker
Although the act of writing is a solitary process, writers greatly benefit from interacting with other writers and from soliciting the support of writers and other professionals. Here are several ways to get helpful support with your writing endeavors.
Writing Support and Critique Groups
Before joining a group, find out their primary purpose to make sure it aligns with your needs. Their primary purpose may be to create a space for writers to connect, recharge their creative juices, and share their successes and troubles with the writing life. Or their primary purpose may be to provide a forum to get other perspectives on your writing through candid feedback and critiques.
Check out the local resources for writing support and critique groups in your area. Places to look include online forums, Meetup Groups, and postings on coffee shop bulletin boards.
Workshops and Classes
Writing workshops and classes provide the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and hone your skills in a specific genre or topic, such as writing query letters, book proposals or novels.
Writers who attend workshops and classes derive many benefits. Among them are creative stimulus, professional instruction and feedback, the accountability of assignments, interaction with like-minded students, and the opportunity to stretch and expand as a writer in both new and known areas of expertise.
Many locales offer in person writing classes and workshops through adult education programs, libraries, community colleges, and writing associations. You can also find a breadth of virtual classes and workshops online.
Writing Coach or Mentor
Hiring a writing coach or mentor can greatly advance your writing goals, especially if you seek accountability and professional guidance with a specific project. In addition to providing professional knowledge and expertise, a writing coach is your confidante. Because of this relationship, you can ask “dumb” questions without feeling embarrassed, openly share your writing obstacles and setbacks, and proudly share your successes.
A writing coach also holds you accountable to your chosen deadlines, and helps you tackle your writing obstacles, stay motivated, and move steadily toward accomplishing your writing goals.
To find a writing coach, ask other writers for recommendations, consult the directories of writers’ associations and organizations, and search online.
Conclusion
Having a writing support system helps you hone and advance your writing skills, knowledge and expertise. Through participation in writing classes, coaching, and support or critique groups, you gain many benefits, including motivation, accountability, and feedback on your writing.
Tags: critique group, writing class, writing coach, writing support, writing support benefits
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Thursday, March 1st, 2012
Starting a writing project without an action plan is like going on a road trip without an itinerary. Some writers prefer that approach. They like to have their writing take the lead, just as the traveler without an itinerary gets her cues in the moment about where and when to stop and explore.
Writing without a plan can work, especially when deadlines, lack of structure or balancing your writing with other life priorities are not an issue. But most writers need and want to know how they are going to do their writing. They want an action plan to measure their progress and keep them moving forward.
How to Write a Writing Action Plan
Although action plans vary with each writing project, the following steps will help guide you when you prepare yours:
1. Create a master Writing Action Plan document. Avoid having parts of it in different files and location. You want to be able to refer to your action plan easily and at any time.
2. Set a completion date. A target date or deadline helps you stay motivated.
3. Identify the project’s key stages. For example, if you are writing an article, these stages may include:
- Identifying the theme or angle
- Review research information for supporting data and interview notes for rich quotations
- Do the final editing and proofreading
- Prepare the final manuscript
4. Assign target dates for completion for each key stage of your project. Like the completion date, these interim target dates will keep you motivated.
5. Assign specific dates to review your progress. Put these dates on both your calendar and your action plan. Depending on your writing endeavor, you may decide to review your progress daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly.
6. Review your progress. Compare your progress with the action plan target dates. At each review, identify the successes and obstacles you have had and determine whether the target dates need to be moved up or pushed out.
You may discover that some tasks take less time because you have more expertise in those areas. Likewise, you may discover that other tasks require more time than you had expected. Adjust them as you go, ever mindful to hold close to your original overall project completion date if possible.
Conclusion
Before you jump into your writing project, determine how you are going to take it from concept to completion. To stay focused and on target throughout your writing process, create a writing action plan with a completion date, specific tasks with their interim target dates, and scheduled reviews.
Tags: how to write a writing action plan, writing action plan, writing process technique
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Sunday, February 19th, 2012
© 2012 Rose Muenker
Writers can get so wrapped up in their creative flow that they neglect a critical element of the writing process: identifying their readership. Knowing who your intended readers are gives you clarity. When identify your ideal readers, you understand their values, preferences, motivators, concerns and more. This knowledge guides your decisions about style, word selection and other important choices.
How to Identify Your Ideal Readers
Your ideal readership is composed of the types of people you want to read your writing. Think about who would be enthralled by your novel, who would be helped by your how-to book or article, or who would be attracted to the products and services on your website. What are their hopes and fears? What are their problems, issues and concerns? What are they passionate about? What motivates them?
Although it is easier to see the relevance of these answers to educational and promotional writing, such as how-to books and website content, it also applies to fiction. For example, novelists choose the amount of explicit detail to include about crime scenes, romantic encounters and the like based on their ideal readership’s interests, preferences and sensitivities.
The Benefits of Identifying Your Ideal Readers
Identifying your ideal readers results in several big benefits. First of all, you capture the keen interest of the people you most want to read your writing. Because you know who they are, you are able to write as if you are telling your story or message directly to them. The result? Readers become engaged with your story or message because they can relate to it. They become eager to continue reading and to tell their friends about what they read. You gain a loyal reader and a promoter.
Another benefit is clarity. Your writing process becomes more fluid. You are able to make your choices about style, tone, degree of detail and similar key elements before you begin writing instead of in the midst of writing. And with that, your writing gains consistency.
Identifying your ideal readers also improves the quality of your writing. When you write for “any and all readers,” the writing tends to become bland, disjointed, disorganized, and inconsistent in tone and style. But when you write for your ideal reader, your writing flows smoothly and naturally, revealing your unique writer’s voice. That in itself is worth identifying your ideal readers.
Conclusion
When you identify your ideal readers – the people who you want to read your story or message – you gain several huge benefits, among them engaged readers, clarity, consistency and improved writing quality.
Tags: benefits of identifying ideal readership, writing process technique, writing tip
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