12/13/2023 0 Comments Declutter thesaurus![]() ![]() Even in 15 brief minutes you can accomplish something. Instead of procrastinating about writing, adopt the habit of doing something - anything. ![]() places where your article might be published.metaphors or analogies that tie in with your subject.the sources you need to consult for your article.It's probably a character flaw, but I always find "to do" lists invigorating. So you don't feel like writing? Do the next best thing make a list. I am allowed to write garbage.etc." The more you require yourself to write quickly, the easier it will become. Or you may need to repeat to yourself, like a mantra: "I am allowed to write garbage the secret of good writing is good self-editing. If this seems impossibly productive, pretend you're writing an email. It's not unreasonable to expect yourself to write 100-200 words in 15 minutes. (Want to learn more about mindmapping? I give an e-book on the subject to anyone who signs up for my free newsletter.) Sitting at your desk, expecting a phone call? Mindmap your next article. (The finished product will look quite a bit like a Visual Thesaurus word search.) Unless you're mindmapping a book, you won't even need the full 15 minutes - you can do a mindmap in five. You then link each new word/phrase to the word/phrase that inspired it by drawing a line between them. Then you write down all the other words and expressions that pop into your head. To do it, you simply write down your topic in the centre of a blank piece of paper and draw a circle around it. ![]() I like to call it brainstorming with yourself. Mindmapping is an alternative to outlining. Create a mindmap for something you need to write.Just be sure to mark where you left off so next time you know where to dive back in. But copy editing - which consists of eliminating wordiness and cliche, adding transitions, and fixing grammar and spelling - can easily be done a paragraph at a time, in 15-minute chunks. Substantive editing - which means evaluating whether your writing "hangs together" in a logical, convincing and interesting way - is best done with lots of time because you need to view your piece of writing as a seamless whole. There are two main types of editing - substantive and copy. (Note to bibliophiles: When I'm consulting library books I use sticky notes instead.) When you're finished, type up your notes on the computer as another 15-minute task. And to make your research extra fast, don't take notes - just underline or jot a few words in the margins. ![]() The trick is to have the material at hand - in your briefcase, purse or on your desk, so you don't spend 14 of the 15 minutes locating it.
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