36 Comments
If you prefer to read this, I have written about Setting the Stopwatch here.
Please comment below and share your experience with Setting the Stopwatch and / or your #1 tip on avoiding distractions.
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Longshot
Premium
I really enjoyed your post. I opted to read it instead of watching it.
When I write, I revise my work many, many times. Is not unusual that I go over the same three hundred words up to ten times, sometimes even more. Often times I make subtle changes, other times I replace key words that lead to a completely different sentence, and more rewriting. The Thesaurus is also a close friend of mine.
Do you revise your work constantly?
Another thing I do is write combination of words in my head and then shape the paragraph to complement the phrase I thought was fetching. Is this a common?
I've never had a writing coach and you seem to have some authority in the subject, so I thought I ask.
Thank you for sharing your this post.
Oscar.
When I write, I revise my work many, many times. Is not unusual that I go over the same three hundred words up to ten times, sometimes even more. Often times I make subtle changes, other times I replace key words that lead to a completely different sentence, and more rewriting. The Thesaurus is also a close friend of mine.
Do you revise your work constantly?
Another thing I do is write combination of words in my head and then shape the paragraph to complement the phrase I thought was fetching. Is this a common?
I've never had a writing coach and you seem to have some authority in the subject, so I thought I ask.
Thank you for sharing your this post.
Oscar.
Reply
sarazoldan
Premium
Hey Oscar!
Welcome to WA and thanks for the follow :)
I'm definitely no writing coach, just a 21 year old gal who loves writing, but thanks for the compliment!
Obviously, we all want our work to be absolutely perfect. Yes, I've done what you do - revise and revise and revise and revise some more. However, no one's perfect and therefore your work doesn't have to be perfect. As you go through the courses you will see that Kyle often says - just post it! it does not have to be perfect!
We are writing for our readers and so yes, our content does have to be up to par and professional, but we don't have to be crazy about it. I know that when I've reviewed and edited my work, I was usually happy with the new choices I've made and I felt it really enhanced the piece. But then I would take a step back and think to myself: 'Does that change really make a difference to the reader? Will my reader get the message and appreciate what I wrote if I hadn't change it?' Very often the answer to these questions will be no and that'll help me realize that while I do have to proofread and edit my pieces before I publish them, checking and rechecking them more than a couple times is completely unnecessary and in fact, just wastes time...
It took me a while to get out of that mindset, but the more I write, the easier it is for me to be confident in my instincts and stick with my first couple editions.
With regards to your second questions, my initial reaction was 'what is this guy talking about!?' :) but then I realized, yes, you're right. When a topic comes to mind that I feel passionate about, very often I'll have a specific phrase or way of explaining things that I want to use. In that case, I will try my best to get that into the paragraph and work other words around it. But, if I find it to be unnatural or it takes away from the paragraph - or even doesn't add to it the way I thought it would, I'm comfortable changing it. It's all about how the words flow and how the reader will enjoy reading it...
Try to keep that in mind - it's not necessarily how you want to write it, but how the reader wants to read it.
I hope this helps... Feel free to PM me any time if I can be of service :) Best of luck!
Stephanie
Welcome to WA and thanks for the follow :)
I'm definitely no writing coach, just a 21 year old gal who loves writing, but thanks for the compliment!
Obviously, we all want our work to be absolutely perfect. Yes, I've done what you do - revise and revise and revise and revise some more. However, no one's perfect and therefore your work doesn't have to be perfect. As you go through the courses you will see that Kyle often says - just post it! it does not have to be perfect!
We are writing for our readers and so yes, our content does have to be up to par and professional, but we don't have to be crazy about it. I know that when I've reviewed and edited my work, I was usually happy with the new choices I've made and I felt it really enhanced the piece. But then I would take a step back and think to myself: 'Does that change really make a difference to the reader? Will my reader get the message and appreciate what I wrote if I hadn't change it?' Very often the answer to these questions will be no and that'll help me realize that while I do have to proofread and edit my pieces before I publish them, checking and rechecking them more than a couple times is completely unnecessary and in fact, just wastes time...
It took me a while to get out of that mindset, but the more I write, the easier it is for me to be confident in my instincts and stick with my first couple editions.
With regards to your second questions, my initial reaction was 'what is this guy talking about!?' :) but then I realized, yes, you're right. When a topic comes to mind that I feel passionate about, very often I'll have a specific phrase or way of explaining things that I want to use. In that case, I will try my best to get that into the paragraph and work other words around it. But, if I find it to be unnatural or it takes away from the paragraph - or even doesn't add to it the way I thought it would, I'm comfortable changing it. It's all about how the words flow and how the reader will enjoy reading it...
Try to keep that in mind - it's not necessarily how you want to write it, but how the reader wants to read it.
I hope this helps... Feel free to PM me any time if I can be of service :) Best of luck!
Stephanie
Avecita
Premium
Hi Stephanie. Great tip. I haven't tried this for my article and content writing yet, - just other writing outside of WA, but I really should because I too have found it useful. Great to know I'm not the only one who can remove all common distractions and yet expertly find more! I will apply this tip more often.
Also great that you posted a video, - people get to know their fellow WA-ers a bit more that way and it's nice. Happy writing.
Also great that you posted a video, - people get to know their fellow WA-ers a bit more that way and it's nice. Happy writing.
sarazoldan
Premium
Oh, as a queen of procrastination, if there's one thing I can do regardless of all circumstances, it's find distractions! You are most definitely not alone!
I've had times where I would sit in front of my computer attempting to write a post for HOURS and not end up with anything done! Sometimes it would take me a week to complete what should have taken me an hour or two tops...
Since I've started setting the stopwatch, my productiveness has gone way up :)
And thanks for the kind words. Best of luck!
I've had times where I would sit in front of my computer attempting to write a post for HOURS and not end up with anything done! Sometimes it would take me a week to complete what should have taken me an hour or two tops...
Since I've started setting the stopwatch, my productiveness has gone way up :)
And thanks for the kind words. Best of luck!
sarazoldan
Premium
Funmine
Premium
Distractions have a way of sneaking in to break your trail of thought and it may take a while to recover. Once I have the flow, I try to put everything down before looking at anything else. However, I must admit, this can be a challenge sometimes, but knowing the right thing to do is very helpful.
sarazoldan
Premium