Works Every Time –
One writing habit that works for me every time is to focus on the intention behind what I want to write. What is it that I want to communicate, the point I want to convey? By getting clear and focusing on my intention for the piece and getting into the state that I’m trying to express, I stop worrying about the words and they seem to tumble out of their own accord.
For instance, sitting down to write this newsletter I wanted to write something that would be helpful for writers when they sat down and faced that blank screen. With that in mind:
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I knew WHAT I wanted to communicate
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Brought to mind what I found helpful and what worked for other writers I’ve known
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Put myself in front of a blank screen and started to write
Once I started, I also thought of a few other tips:
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Shut off your internal editor for the first draft
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Learn the rules of good writing… then learn when and how to break them.
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Don’t hesitate to emulate the style of writers you admire.
