Time to Write

How to write faster and finish what you start (the 80% solution)

Do you think somebody who is writing a novel or a screenplay is helped or hurt by being a perfectionist? 

It may sound like an admirable quality--striving for perfection--but all too often it means the person never finishes writing his book or her screenplay because it will never be perfect.

Some perfectionists give up in the middle because they can tell their project will not live up to their high expectations.

A powerful solution came up in an article by writer Denise Gosnell, who said she learned it from a coach named Dan Sulliven.

In a nutshell, the idea is to get quickly to the point where you are 80% satisfied. Don't keep going back and trying to get everything right; instead, forge ahead and acknowledge that there will still be work to be done when the first draft is finished.

If you're a very strict perfectionist you may have to set the bar lower--say to 70%--in order to be able to let go of the impulse to revise repeatedly as you go along.

Once you've done that, evaluate what improvements are needed. Make those to the same level of satisfaction. For instance, let's say you realize you need to make your protagonist more likeable. You make some changes in that direction. When you think you are most of the way (80%) there, stop and go on to the next thing that needs to be changed.

Then repeat the process once more. By that point it's likely that you're as close as you're going to get to making the project as good as you can get it on your own. That will be the time to have it read by a trusted friend or colleague who you know gives constructive and honest feedback (more than one, if possible). 

If they come up with issues you feel are on target, repeat the process once more, maybe twice. Then send the project out into the marketplace...even though it still won't be perfect.

(Friendly guidance from idea through to the still slightly imperfect finish is what you'll find in my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey. You can get it right now from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

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A tail, er, tale of perseverance and success

How big a role does perseverence play in the success of artists and writers? In a newsletter from ArtYouGrewUpWith.com, I found this example, a cartoonist named Rupert Fawcett who has done very well with his cartoons about parenthood as well as his more recent "Off the Leash," about people and the dogs who own them. This is what he revealed about how he got started:

I became a professional cartoonist almost by accident when in 1989 whilstdoodling I drew a little bald man in braces and carpet slippers and named him Fred.

After receiving over 80 rejection letters I was finally offered a place in Midweek, a free magazine given away at London tube stations. This was soon followed by my first book deal and a contract for Fredgreeting cards. These proved very popular and within a short period of time were to be seen all overthe place. A range of Fred merchandise followed with a steady succession of books. The cartoons also appeared in the Mail On Sunday for four years.

When my children were small I created a new character, Daddy, which was based on my own experiences of parenthood. Three Daddy books, a greeting card range and merchandise followed.

My most recent creation is Off The Leash, which is a series of cartoon strips about dogs! It's now got a global audience thanks to the likes of Facebook and a beautifiul book release later this year.

The bit that caught my attention was the 80 rejection letters and then the placement of his strip in a giveaway magazine.

How many of us would have given up after 60 rejection letters, or 40, or 20, or even ten?

How many might have scoffed at having their work displayed in a give-away magazine rather than a "real" one?

I don't know, I only know of those who would have done that, none would have gone on to have his success. 

Below is one of Fawcett's cartoons. ArtYouGrewUpWith.com is selling limited edition prints of some of his work: 

(One key to success is using your time effectively. For some friendly guidance and right-brain methods, see my book, "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done," published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller now.)

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3 act structure in real life : Act I

3 act structure in real life : Act 2

What are your novel's or screenplay's 3 magic words?

If you are writing a novel or screenplay, this is a simple way to make sure that it has the qualities that will attract readers and buyers. 

Lou Kunzler, who teaches the ‘writing for children’ workshop I attend, had this great suggestion: before you write anything, decide on three words that describe it in a way that will make people want to read it.

Put those words on a sticky note and put it where you can see it as you write, as a reminder that every chapter should fit that description.

For the novella I’m writing, I’d say something like “killer pursuit thriller”—it’s the story of a boy and his father on the run from people who want to kill the father.

That reminds me to make sure to keep up the pressure, to show how much is at stake, and to keep the action thrilling.

You could also choose three adjectives that don’t refer to the plot, just the writing itself, something like “funny, insightful, touching.”

If you are self-publishing you might also find the three words come in handy when you're coming up with the marketing materials for your ebook. However, when pitching or writing a query letter don't use too many adjectives but rather make sure the way you summarize or describe the project suggests those qualities. In other words, instead of writing in a letter to an agent that your book is "funny, insightful, and touching," make your description project those.

I think this strategy could extend to other kinds of goals as well. If you want to improve your health and fitness, what three words describe the result you’re after? Maybe energetic, flexible, strong, for example.

You could also apply it to the process you employ in pursuit of the goal. For you to stick to an exercise regime, for instance, what three words describe what it should be like? Maybe enjoyable, non-competitive, efficient (that is, gets results in minimum time)?

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Want to write bigger stories or just think bigger? Here's how.

Forge ahead with your writing: the Next Massive Action Day is on Sunday, June 16

Want to make huge progress on a writing project (or on getting your home office organized, or anything else)? Join my online Massive Action Day on Sunday, June 16.

Declare your goal for the day in our exclusive chat window and update throughout the day. You'll get support from me and the other particpants and I do a brief live video broadcast every hour with tips and to answer your questions on how to get more done.

It's only £5 (about $7.70 or €6) when you sign up for the series of ten. Get all the information here: MASSIVE ACTION DAY INFO.

"I love the MADs - they are always fun and I get things done...I find it fun and productive. Working in the MAD chat is like having an exercise buddy - you can exercise alone, but you'll probably exercise more and have more fun when having a buddy!" -- Susanne Tanner, Zurich, Switzerland

3 act structure in real life : Act 2

The three-act structure of films and stories applies to real life, too. Yesterday's cartoon was a glimpse of one man's Act I, today it's Act II, which often features a reversal of some kind in the middle.

(Want friendly guidance for writing your book? Get "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

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3 act structure in real life : Act I

Screenwriters and others probably are familiar with "3 act structure" - the way many stories are organized (the story kicks in with an inciting incident in act 1, escalates with lots of conflicts in act 2 (often with a reversal of some kind in the middle) and resolves in act 3. Really it's another way of saying beginning, middle, and end. We can look at our lives in the same way, which is what led to this little series of cartoons. Today: Act I.

(for guidance on writing your book, get a copy of "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

Want to write bigger stories or just think bigger? Here's how.

Readers and movie-goers like big stories. That doesn’t mean only stories in which the world is going to be destroyed by aliens or international terrorist rings try to bring down the Western world.

It can be a story about the effect of a divorce on a child but even when the event is small we want to see the big impact. In one case it’s the impact on the planet, in the other it’s the impact on a child.

If you tend to make your stories too small, or in the case of screenplays not visual enough, you can use the BLOW-UP METHOD (blow-up as in inflate, not explode).

It means pushing a particular incident as far as you can, far beyond what is sensible. By expanding the boundaries that far, you can then cut back and still end up with a choice that has more impact than the one you started with.

I’ll give you an example. In a script I’m working on, I have a father who owns a company, and his grown son, his second-in-command. The son expects the father to retire and then the son will finally run the company. In the first draft I have a scene in their boardroom where the father announces he’s changed his mind. He’s not going to retire any time soon.

This is  a feature film, and the scene seemed too small. The problem was mainly the setting—it’s hard to make a scene in a board room very visually interesting. I also wanted to make the son’s humiliation bigger.

I blew it up to the biggest example I could think of: the father pushes aside the Pope on the balcony of the Vatican and announces it to a crowd of half a million people.  Or he goes on a national television show and announces it.

Of course those are not workable, but it got me to thinking: where could he logically announce it, where there are lots of people?

The idea that came up was a big trade show for their industry, which happens to be greeting cards. The father is speaking to a big crowd of people, everybody knows it’s supposed to be his fond farewell, and instead he announces he isn’t handing the company over to his son. Bigger, more humiliating, and visually more interesting.

The key with this method is not to be afraid to expand your mind by taking the situation to ridiculous extremes before you cut back to something that actually works. 

(If you'd like friendly guidance for writing your book or script, get a copy of Your Creative Writing Masterclass: featuring Austen, Chekhov, Dickens, Hemingway, Nabokov, Vonnegut, and more than 100 contemporary and classic ... novels, screenplays and short stories (click for Amazon.co.uk)

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Writing sessions: get off to a great start

In the previous post we looked at how to gain momentum when doing a big writing project. This time let's see how you can get off to a great, fast start for each of your writing sessions and keep up your momentum.

There tends to be resistance at three points:

1: Getting started

For many peope this is the toughest one. 

• Schedule a time and make sure your resources are there at the start.
• Use a mood board or folder of images to stimulate your thinking
• Use an app that gives you an uncluttered blank screen so you're not distracted by your desktop.
• Train people in your environment that certain days and hours are your writing time
• Find the location that works best – if necessary, go to a café, library, etc.
• Find a scent that energizes you (peppermint is good) and sniff it at the start (you can get little bottles of essential oils for this at many health food stores)
• Have tools you enjoy using – notebooks, pens, folders, etc.
• Before you start, decide on a small reward you’ll give yourself at the end of the session
• Use a timer so you don’t have to think about the time. I suggest sessions lasting 45 minutes, then a fifteen minute break (also timed), then repeat.
• if you’re tempted to do something else that is more immediately rewarding, imagine with all your senses how good it will feel, look, sound, smell when you have achieved your writing goal (the feel of your book in your hands, the smell of the new pages, the sound of people complimenting the book, the look of a stack of the books in the book store, the spreadsheet with the sales figures for your ebook, etc.

Also get a copy of my book, Creativity Now. The first section suggests 25 ways to get into a creative state of mind, the second section offers 25 ways to generate new ideas, the third section reveals 25 ways to go from idea to real project and the final section includes 25 inspiring examples of others who have built impressive businesses or careers using their creativity. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.

2: The middle

This is where distractions will intrude if you let them.

• Turn off the phones
• Put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door
• Don't stop to check email or Facebook or Twitter, etc.
• Consider getting or making a stand-up desk so you can spend part of the session standing up. If making phone calls is part of that session's tasks, stand or walk around while you do it.
• Wear noise-cancelling headphones or have white noise playing in the background—whatever you need in order to stay focused. Listen to music if that doesn't distract you.

3: The end

At the end of a working session you may face two problems. 

One: your Inner Critic rushes in and tells you that you didn’t get enough done.

• Use the Inner Critic visualisation to send it away (you can find this as a bonus on the website for my book, "Your Writing Coach").

Two: you are tempted to keep writing until you get to the end of a chapter or section— if you don’t know what you’ll write after that bit, this can be stressful. 

• Follow Ernest Hemingway’s advice and stop mid-sentence so you’ll always know what you’ll be writing the next day.

RECORD YOUR PROGRESS

You'll feel more motivated during all three of these phases if you record your progress every day—the number of words or whatever measure makes sense at that point. Keep in view not only how much is left to do but also how much you have done already. Checking off squares or filling in a chart makes this a physical thing, which is very satisfying.

(For innovative time management strategies for creative people, see my book, "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done", published by Pearson.)

 

Big writing (or other) project? Here's how to build momentum!

If you have a big writing (or other) project, one great way to build momentum is to spend a full day working on it with support from your peers.

IT'S GOOD TO GO MAD

That's what we do on my monthly MADs--Massive Action Days. It's all online. You sign in to our exclusive website, declare your goal for the day there, and get to work. Every hour I do a brief live video broadcast to answer questions and offer tips. You update us on your progress and everybody supports each other.

The people already doing the MADs find it incredibly productive and it's inexpensive--only £5 each when you sign up for ten. You can find our more at www.MassiveActionDay.com. 

What else can you do to build momentum? Let's start with the basics:

The formula is Velocity x Mass = Momentum

The more you apply effort, the more momentum you get, unless you encounter another important aspect of momentum, Resistance. Resistance can increase the mass of a molehill to that of a mountain.

FOUR POINTS OF RESISTANCE

In writing there are four points at which you tend to have resistance:

1: Getting started. The best solution is chunking down the goal into manageable chunks, scheduling regular time to work, and getting support.

2: The middle. You’ve done a lot but there’s a lot yet to do and the initial excitement has worn off. The best tools are: knowing this is normal, using a variety of brainstorming techniques (like the ones in my writing books) to get a fresh perspective, and making sure your Inner Critic doesn’t talk you into quitting.

3: After the first draft. The first step when you're ready to critique your first draft is to use methods for getting a more objective view of your own writing (wait a week, change location and posture, print it out on different colour paper and/or a different typeface, read once for general reactions and don’t try to fix it as you go—note the necessary changes, then go back into creative mode, at your usual writing location).

When it’s as good as you can make it, show to someone you trust to be constructive. Tell them you want them to jot down any problems they discern—where it’s boring, where it’s confusing, where they think what’s happening isn’t plausible, etc. Tell them you don’t want them to suggest solutions, only problems.

Fix the problems and repeat, but stop rewriting when the new version isn’t getting better, just different.

4: When you send it out into the world.  Put on your business hat, not your sensitive artist hat, and make a plan. Let your sensitive artist get busy on a new creative project so it doesn’t hang around getting tense.

>> In the next post we'll see how you can also build momentum for every working session.

(Want to get more things done, more easily? Using creative methods rather than more hard work? You'll find the ansswers in my book, "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done." It's published by Pearson and you can get it from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Want to solve a writing or marketing problem? Ask 'How do THEY do it?'

Let's say you have a problem relating to your writing or selling what you write. You're stuck...now what?

I suggest a brainstorming activity I call, “How do THEY do it?” First you think of somebody who does something that’s similar to—but not exactly the same as—whatever you want to do. Then you look at what are the main things they do and translate those back to what you’re trying to do.

For example, let’s say you have finished writing a book or script and now you want to sell it. First let’s pick a “they.” Who sells stuff? Well, salespeople. Let’s pick the kind of selling that probably is the most daunting: door to door sales.

 WHAT THEY DO

What do THEY do? Make a list of their key behaviours and attitudes:

They go from door to door, calling on many potential customers in a day.

They come up with a first sentence or two that is designed to capture the interest of the potential customer so the latter won’t slam the door in their face.

They have a strong pitch that relates the product to the needs of the potential customer.

They have answers ready for the most likely objections, such as “I can’t afford it right now,” or “I’ll have to ask my spouse.”

They know that most people will say no, but that if they persist, it’s likely some will say yes.

They listen to what the non-buyers say and adjust their pitch accordingly for the next time they might make the sale. They learn from the no's.

WHAT WE CAN DO

Now what can we take away from that in terms of selling our manuscript or script? What would be our equivalents to what "they" are doing?

One is that we would approach a number of agents or publishers or producers, not one at a time. After all, a door to door salesperson wouldn’t say, “Well, Mrs Miller said she’d think about it and let me know next week, so I’ll just wait for her answer before I try next door.”

To get our foot in the door we would fashion a strong first sentence for our query letter or our pitch, so we  capture the interest of our potential customer.

We would think about what objections might come up—for instance, maybe that it would cost too much to produce a certain script—and we’d be ready with an answer. Maybe we could even build that information into the pitch or the query letter itself to disarm the objection.

For instance, if you were pitching a novel right now that features zombies, you’d want to be sure to explain very early in the letter or pitch how it’s different from all the zombie stories out there at the moment.

We would not give up after the first few rejections.

And we would listen to the feedback we get, and if several potential customers point out the same issue, we’d fix it before moving on to the next one.

That’s the “How do THEY do it?” strategy and you can apply it to just about any process that you’re finding difficult.

MORE EXAMPLES

Having trouble building a story? Figure out how the people who build houses do it and translate that back to story-building.

Having problems with a story that seems too predictable but you don't know how to throw the reader off the scent? List how magicians deceive their audience and find out which strategies might work in your story.

Finding it difficult to come up with ideas? Find out how advertising agency people come up with them and apply them to your kind of story-telling.

By getting inspired by people and solutions outsideo of your field you will come up with fresh ideas, not imitations of what everybody else in yours is doing already.

(You'll find lots more creative ideas for solving writing problems and creating powerful stories, in my book Your Writing Coach. It's published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)