I've been deep in writing mode recently and it's not been going as quickly or easily as I'd have liked. Stupid problems crept in, the flow was poor and the overall concepts did not come through as well as they should have.
An enforced break over the weekend (looking at wardrobes if you're interested!) gave me time to reflect on the problems and devise a strategy.
As is often the case the answer is blindingly obvious. I hadn't planned.
In my efforts to just get things done I had neglected rule one and had sat down at my computer and started typing. That may be OK for a blog entry but it causes endless problems with any piece of writing over a page.
Other recent writing has followed the same path
Then, and only then, had I started writing.
The latest set of notes had followed another path entirely
This is not as effective as the first method!
The annoying thing is that I know this. The idea of planning something beforehand is not new. I had been careful to do it every other time. The difference here was time. Under pressure to get something done I had disregarded every piece of good practise and hoped for the best. My mum would have told me "More haste, less speed". As someone who's careful to avoid cliche I wouldn't say that. But she's still right.
An enforced break over the weekend (looking at wardrobes if you're interested!) gave me time to reflect on the problems and devise a strategy.
As is often the case the answer is blindingly obvious. I hadn't planned.
In my efforts to just get things done I had neglected rule one and had sat down at my computer and started typing. That may be OK for a blog entry but it causes endless problems with any piece of writing over a page.
Other recent writing has followed the same path
- Think about the goals
- Mind-map the topics
- Research anything I am not immediately comfortable with
- Repeat until happy
Then, and only then, had I started writing.
The latest set of notes had followed another path entirely
- Sit down
- Write
- Hope
This is not as effective as the first method!
The annoying thing is that I know this. The idea of planning something beforehand is not new. I had been careful to do it every other time. The difference here was time. Under pressure to get something done I had disregarded every piece of good practise and hoped for the best. My mum would have told me "More haste, less speed". As someone who's careful to avoid cliche I wouldn't say that. But she's still right.
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