Tony Schwartz, president and CEO of The Energy Project, recently wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review on "Six Keys to Being Excellent at Anything." I've listed the key points below, along with my notions of how these apply specifically to writing.
1. "Pursue what you love."
Write what you love to read. Don't try to follow trends or write in a genre that doesn't appeal to you just because it sells well.
2. "Do the hardest work first."
I think this is the hardest of his six suggestions, but it works. This also means finding a way to write when you have energy, not as an afterthought to your paying work and your other obligations. If you can't do that every day, at least do it once a week.
3. "Practice intensely."
Write. If possible, carve out 60 to 90 minutes of uninterrupted time so you can really focus.
4. "Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses."
Get feedback on your writing. Options include attending a class, teaming up with somebody whose expertise you respect, or finding online sites where you post some of your writing and get feedback from other members. However, don't listen to every bit of advice or you'll constantly be in reactive mode.
5. "Take regular renewal breaks."
Feed your head. Go to movies, plays, travel to new places, talk to different people, read books and magazines read mythology and history and biographies as well as novels, and just chill out from time to time.
6. Ritualize practice.
Set aside regular times to write--anything becomes easier to do when you turn it into a habit.
(For more help with your writing, get my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon and other online and offline booksellers. Also go to www.jurgenwolff.com and check out my Writing Breakthrough online mentoring program to find out how it can support you in writing your book or screenplay.)
