Cultivating a Writing Habit

January 4, 2009 · Comments

Bookstore Boy

I’m writing a book with Julien Smith. Since starting the project, both Julien and I have realized that it’s a lot harder to write a book than blog posts. It takes a whole different kind of discipline than what I do when I write blogs. It’s a lot harder. Because of this, and because people asked me about my writing habits, I thought I’d share a bit about the process I use. This might be useful. It might be a waste of your time. Depends what I do that synchs with what you do. Writing is as personal and varied as most things worth doing in life. Your mileage will vary.

My Writing DNA

Before we get into this, a bit of DNA. I’ve been writing in some form or another since grade school. I’ve wanted to be a writer my entire life. I learned how to read early, starting with Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and The Trumpet and the Swan, and then rapidly into comic books. I’ve read voraciously since I can really remember. I still get through more than two books a week, even in busy times. I read a sampling of over 700 blogs a day.

I’ve written since forever, and in high school, I started getting awards. I won the National Council of Teacher’s of English award. I won a spot at the Breadloaf Young Writer’s Convention at Middlebury College (where Robert Frost taught). I have written daily for decades at this point.

All this to say it’s not like I just showed up at the playground and was Michael Jordan. I’ve been at this a while. Your mileage will vary. But that’s okay.

The Formula: Read, Write, Write- Part 1: Read

First stop in learning how to write more, write better, write effectively is to read. Read all the time. Read for hours a day if you can. Can’t find the time? Kill your television. Kill some of your video game playing (some). Kill other distractions. Reading is a super power. The more you learn from reading, the more you can improve tons of areas of your life. But what you also do is learn how others write, and you can use that.

Let’s stop there. There’s a difference between just reading and reading to understand how a writer works it. Want to learn magic? Get Made to Stick by the Heaths. Learn HOW they make the book so interesting. Not the ideas, but HOW they write it. Read Freakonomics and learn how storytelling makes a book into a killer bestseller. Read every Seth book (well, except for Meatball).

Want to know three fiction books that broke me down and turned me into everything I could be?

Shipping news taught me brevity. Fight Club taught me how not to pull a punch. Slapboxing taught me how to really pull raw emotions out of the air. Does this help my nonfiction writing? You bet it does.

The Formula: Read, Write, Write- Part 2: Write

People ask me how I write so much. One trick is that I write all day long. Not always with paper. Not always with a computer. But I’m always writing. If you and I are having coffee and my eyes glaze for a second, I’m probably thinking about how something might be worded, or I just got a new topic idea for a blog post. When I’m reading, I’m thinking about writing. When I’m at the gym, I’m thinking about posts. When I’m working on something entirely different, I’m also writing. When I’m writing, I’m writing something else.

Distracting? Sure. Whatever. Get used to distractions. If you don’t, you’re doomed. Truly. There’s nothing BUT a signal-to-noise ratio. And while you try and cut noise to perfect signal, I’m finding the hidden patterns. Learn how to surf noise and you’ll learn how to jump gates.

So, lesson two is to write all day. Only, this writing I’m talking about is the kind that doesn’t actually land anywhere. It just means that your mind is primed for those moments where you get a moment to write.

The Formula: Read, Write, Write- Part 3: Write

I write daily. I write emails. I write thousands of words 140 characters at a time into Twitter. I write proposals. I write blog posts (hey, here’s a blog post!). I write for the book with Julien. (Of these, the last is the hardest, but only because I’m afraid. Books are so… forever.) Writing begets writing.

Once you get into a steady diet, you don’t fall off the wagon for much of anything.

To write, think about structures. If it’s a blog post, is it a long one, a short one, a list, a what? If it’s writing for your big book, how are you going to structure things? Julien and I did our book in six major chapters, with a few minor bookend chapters to set the concepts up. Once we had that structure, we filled in each chapter with our mindset on every main point.

So, we’d name a chapter after a major theme in our book, and then we’d write what we could think about to support it. We’d write it in no particular order, and then try organizing it once the chapter was almost finished. That way, we’d go back in and do transitions to make for better readability.

Structures, even if atypical, are your saving grace in knowing how to write what you want to cover. My blog posts have a structure. I write a paragraph that leads you into the post. I lead with the major stuff. I build on that. I end with a question or three to get you talking. Every time. Go back and read 10 of my posts. Take them apart. You’ll see.

Get in, Get Your Hands Dirty

Writing isn’t an “I should start doing that” kind of endeavor. Just start somewhere. Stop somewhere. Look around. One last book plug: On Writing by Stephen King. The first half is more like an auto-biography. Interesting, but you don’t actually need it. The second time I bought this book, I started at the writing section, ripped the book apart there, and duct taped the cover back on, thus making it the book I wanted. You can do that, too.

King basically teaches you to stop being such a sissy and just start writing. It’s tough love writing lessons, that’s for sure. But you know what? Writers need that more than not. The writers who need gentle writing are doing it for therapy, not business.

Writing has made me a better speaker. Writing is why I’m a businessman. Writing is how I interpret the world. Others make music. Others paint. Others create code. Me? I communicate. It’s what drives everything forward for me.

Does This Help?

How does this influence your thoughts on writing? Did you see anything in there that reminds you of you? What else can I answer for you?

You know the drill.

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  • Hi Chris, I found your post via a recent post from Amber Naslund (http://altitudebranding.com/2010/02/wanna-write...) - which inspired me to write: http://megturner.blogspot.com/2010/02/read-to-w...

    Just think, you could have been one of my fifth grade students! I had some very creative kids back then. I love to write, but am still finding my niche. I especially love reading blogs. Can't say I even come close to 700 a day, but I and am amazed by all the good ones out there and am often up to 3 in the morning trying to read them all!

    Any tips for finding your niche?
  • awesome post. thanks
  • So . . . how about your thoughts on working with an editor?
  • Practice makes perfect - or at least as close to perfection as one person can get. Whether practice equals sitting with a keyboard or a pad and pen, or it equals staring into space thinking about how something could be phrased; it's all the same. How true.... I need some more practice!
  • Chris, good points! Writing is a must if we want to learn to write. Just like learning to play a musical instrument or participating in sports. Practice makes perfect. There is a huge difference in writing a blog and writing a book. Congrats on going that next step. I agree with the comments about the Stephen King book - two things impressed me, and that is how much he writes every day, and that he reads every evening rather than watch TV. We only need to look to his productivity and success to know that we need to turn off the TV and develop the discipline necessary to produce more words. I wish you the best on your book and your continued success. I am bookmarking this site.
  • Dear Chris,

    Myself staying at Kolkata,India.Love writing......in fact nurture a dream to make it big in future by ,as others say, earning thru blogging.At present unemployed.please suggest something immediately like some good,easy topics to blog .

    Regards...............srijit
  • Bindu Muralidharan
    Really interesting piece of information. I never knew that we could look at the art of writing in this sense too. It definitely makes us realise how other writers feel, and indentify with their character. Thnks... please post more such info.
  • Writing in general is formulaic, but yes if you don't even begin by putting text onto a page, you'll never have anything to edit.

    Glad to see me mentioned here :) Good luck!
  • Steve
    Hey Craig,
    Like you I saw the film first but was intrigued when I found out it was based on a book that Bauby wrote himself. The book quite literally gets you in his head and is worth finding.
    Cheers
  • @Steve I never read the book but the movie was excellent. Really makes you wonder the things you can do it you really put your mind to it, cause especially in that case, that's all you need.
  • Steve
    You want inspiration to write then read "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" by Jean-Dominique Bauby. I just finished it last night and under any circumstances it was a well written memoir. When you understand that Bauby at 44 had a massive stroke and was completely paralyzed with only the ability to move his left eye. That he wrote with someone reciting letters till he heard the one he wanted and blinked yes for every word one letter at a time is astounding.
    The book was written over two months and edited in 2 weeks. That should be a kick in the butt to anyone that thinks they can't do it themselves.
    Now go write something people.
  • I write mostly non-fiction & tech articles and poetry. I do a lot of teaching, consulting and editing on a wide variety of writing projects. To me, the most important qualities in good non-fiction writing are: flow, clarity and conciseness. Reading extensively is helpful to writers when it comes to content and developing style and an authentic voice. It also exposes them to a variety of models, so they can become aware of what works and what doesn't.

    One way I have found that works with my students is to break the writing process down like so: brainstorm (verbally or on paper), write, and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite; the rewriting or editing being of utmost importance. Reading aloud or having someone else read your writing aloud or proof read it for clarity and coherence can also be helpful.

    I am also a musician and I believe ( as Mary Ray does) that this is an advantage when it comes to injecting rhythm, tonality and color into my writing. This is accomplished by combining words and sentences in very specific ways. I play with them on the page and move them around, until I find the most interesting and effective ways of using them. And I certainly agree with Amber Naslund (an admirable writer) when she says writing must flow on the page. With me, sometimes, it gushes and I have to exercise some conscious control to rein it in, especially if it's 3:00 in the morning.

    Writing on twitter is much harder for me than writing on my blog, because I don't get that wonderful open, flowing feeling I get from writing larger pieces. Twitter feels all choppy and disjointed to me. I hope I get over that. I've only been doing it a few days. I want to like it more.
  • julie kay
    Having written since I could write (!) I chickened out on myself 20 years ago and began writing for advertising agencies and corporations...that paid the bills. Now, I feel like I bastardized my writing talent. How do I get back to the true bone of writing? Everytime I start something, I play marketing guru and ask myself what's the objective, who is the audience...? Stop. I want to write the good stuff again.
  • Thanks for a great and practical post. Do you have any tips for organization of all of your writing? My cluttered hard drive, stacks of notebooks, coctail napkins and scraps of paper lead me to believe this is an area I need to give attention.

    I'm thrilled to have found your blog. Thanks!
  • Meg
    My mentor used to call it the monkey mind - that mental block that prevents you from forming the words that are at the tip of your mind. It's odd, as a journalism major, I hated writing what others assigned me, but I've found that post-graduation I actually miss it because I no longer have a drive to write at the end of the day because I'm not being forced to write during the day. I felt the writing fatigue, but I'm starting to get back into the swing of things and that pen has never felt so "write" in my hand.

    PS My notebook is my security blanket, even when I had nothing to say. Or as my former boss called it "the ramblings of a mad white woman."

    cheers
  • Potentially, there's a double-edged sword element to writing all day. It could lead to writing fatigue, for example, where you simply don't have the energy or inclination once the real ideas arrive.

    However, like you, I find that writing all day (as a full-time copywriter) usually helps me to write my fiction or blog posts when I get home. It's a tough balance, but it's quite possible to manage your writing effectively and quite literally, write all day.
  • Chris if you're not Jordan, I'm not Bill Cartwright.

    However, it was encouraging that you cited many of the same influences that have shaped my own (not yet as prolific) output.

    Made to Stick is priceless. I don't share the universal man-love for Seth, but his thesis-first approach is great. I agree 1000% on the King book. Had the same reaction (although didn't rip the book).

    I'd offer a couple of other personal touchstones. I find Bill Bryson to be the absolute best at turning a phrase. He is the master of word selection. I like Cormac McCarthy because he proves you can write a sentence like "The man went to the door." and have it drip with meaning.

    Although I find his current politics don't sync with my own, I've always cribbed from Dennis Miller in the reliance on simile and metaphor when I'm really rolling.

    Also glad that we share a NCTE trophy. I remember writing that essay like it was yesterday.
  • Steve
    I'm new to your blog but I can already tell I'll be back. I like not only what you have to say but how you say it. Me I'm influenced by everything I've ever read, including your blog. (My personal favorite Palahniuk is "Survivor").

    I'm glad you mentioned "On Writing". Steve was a big influence on me, not that book particularly but I spent time with him working on a TV show a few years ago. When he found out I write he's the one that told me to "start writing books", I'm in the middle of three now (I've only ever read two of his, sorry Steve). The man is not just a writer but a word junkie. He has big word jumble books he carries with him everywhere. With in the first two minutes of meeting me he had checked out the book I was reading and the music I was playing and later that day we went and bought him the same...I guess he approved.

    Great insight and informative, I look forward to reading more that you have to share.
  • Gina Kay Landis
    addendum (I did finally go to college in my 30's and that was heaven - read, read, read, write, write, write - woo hoo!).
  • Gina Kay Landis
    Chris,
    I am often agog at your writing.

    And yes, your experiences remind me of mine in regards to reading and writing. I am an avid and very fast reader and remember nearly everything (except I goofed up the title of Shel Israel's book, d'oh). Never quite got into comics except the ones acceptable to females (I'm a bit older) way back when. But oh yeah... I read all I could as often as I could. And self-study versus going to college has served me well, too. Much of my extraneous knowledge was gained due to simple curiosity about all sorts of things. From organic gardening to solar power to lawn treatment chemicals to anatomy and physiology of cats and bugs and people, I have retained that knowledge and regularly bore folks with it who dare to listen =). It's fun!

    People who write look at the world a bit differently. Ideas are often spawned by very small incidences and then grow into whatever they become. If written, they remain for ever or for a moment. If unwritten, they pop out at odd times or during those precious writing moments if one's life is not geared to write all the day. Writing when you can and should or even when you shouldn't snare a piece of time to write is a freedom experience I wouldn't do without.

    The best book I read solely on writing was "Writing down the bones" by Natalie Goldberg. Her revealing book that taught the discipline and the freedom of writing, and also cautioned writers not to use their status as "writers" to gain any favors or special treatment, was written 20 years ago and is still relevant. It made me exercise my writing skills where much of my writing had remained in my head for some time while holding down several jobs at a time.

    The next book I read that fed me in a life-way was "How to dance forever - surviving against the odds" by Daniel Nagrin. His book was filled with raw imagry and raw emotion and gave me a similar feeling as did Goldberg's book. Encouragement to use your creativity even while feeling hampered by fear or time constraints or whatever other snag you've let grab you is pure gold.

    @ginakay
  • @Meg Roberts - thank you so very much for leaving a comment. I love when you share your thoughts.

    @Everyone Else - I'm really grateful for your time and attention. It was a long post, but I'm glad that you got something out of it. It was a good post for me to write, personally. I'm grateful.
  • Now, that I've started blogging, I always have ideas running in my head and they appear in the strangest places - on the bus, out for a walk, etc.
    The only thing that annoys me is proofreading - no matter how many times I reread my content, I always find ANOTHER mistake.
  • I go back and forth. some days I adore blogging because of the brevity and the fact I can jump around (within the confines Ive set for myself) topicwise.
    I mainly write fiction so when Im writing I adore how I become immersed in the characters. it's an entirely different feeling and process and I adore it.

    the nonfiction writing hath become my albatross. I have had a few people offer to connect me with their agents or read my proposal when Im finished and Im a bit stuck.
    time to yank out kings book and bird by bird.
  • I often read your blog, but this is the first time I've left a comment and it's because this post was the exact push I needed. Writing is my passion, but as I make the transition from college student to full-time professional, I've struggled to motivate myself to write anything non-work related. Like you, I am always writing in my head, so it's great to hear that those little moments when I zone out count for something, too. I hope to write more frequently now, and will use this post as motivation in the future.

    Best,
    Meg

    I look forward to
  • Chris,

    Why is it that New England / Boston has produced some of America's finest writers? Is it truly in the DNA?

    Joel Mark Witt
  • What a great post. I do not write. Do not have a book on the go. Do not even blog enough. Do tweet quite a lot. Your enthusiasm and good advice I hope will rub off. Used to be a teacher and one bit of advice I got from somewhere and passed on to kids a lot was that in a way it's not writing … it's making reading.
    I've subscribed. Keep going!
  • Quote of the post: "Writing begets writing." Amen.
    ~jon
  • I read all the time. I write all the time. I am working on using these two obsessions to live my life rather than squeezing these two obsessions around my life - took a wee vacation recently to connect with the kiddos...really hated the part where I was not writing, reading and exercising during the break. Sounds like me, especially the fear part about writing a book...
    I avoid the business part of living as much as possible...I think this is an error message. I am late to the game, no one encouraged me to do anything except to earn a living as a secretary and or be an elementary school teacher....I became a social worker/ clergy ....wasted a great many years...always being told I could not do something and listening to that...
    Now I just read and write all the time...and most of my critics are dead...I was invisible in school...
    Work on structure...interesting place to explore
  • Thanks for the tips.. although for many people (perhaps even me) the formula might be better as: Read, Read, Write. I'm also wondering if twitter and microblogging are shortening people's attention span for both writing and reading.
  • Thanks for the tips. I have written some short stories in the past and now would like to give my shot at a novel. The writing techniques are very different. Novels you have to tell a story, make it flow. Even with non-fiction work like yours you need to give the reader a reason to want to keep turning the page. Something very difficult than other types of writing. I agree with you it's all about the structure. If you stay organized you will be able to have everything already set with the ideas and outcomes so the writing will flow more easily.
  • Great long post! And I usually avoid reading long posts.
    As a writer, I find it helpful to
    - diversify and try different types of writing
    - start somewhere and stop being a perfectionist, at least while I'm working on my first draft
    - have something to say
    - structure! You said it and I'll say it again. It is the best way to know where to start and how to end
    - edit and make sure readers get a break some white space
  • This reminded me a little bit of when I was writing for my high school newspaper. Sometimes you just need to start writing and figure out later where it fits in your story, chapter, article, post, whatever. Thanks for the book suggestions and the idea of looking at an author's thought process to learn to write. Great stuff!
  • Chris:
    "Does this help?"

    Are you kidding? One of the best posts I've seen on the topic. I've pushed King's book in several of my writing posts and re-reading it last year is what kicked me back into the writing mode. BTW, This is me searching for the duct tape.

    I'm bookmarking, stumbling, tweeting, digging, printing this and handing out on street corners. It's ALL good.

    Cheers!

    George
  • I obviously meant cracks not crack.
  • I write with words but with pictures to. I haven't made a successful business out of it or anything its just something I need to do (If you know what I mean).

    I can definitely subscribe to the idea of doing it all the time, in the crack of your day if the writing isn't part of your job. You don't need technology, a little pocket book would do the trick.

    The more I turn on the tap the steadier the flow is.

    Thanks for the article.
  • Hi Chris. I just came across your blog at the weekend and have been browsing through a few of your posts since then. But I just wanted to say thanks for this one and I agree with your recommendation of the Stephen King book absolutely.

    As a linguistics student, former journalist, and now a communications professional, I've been writing all my adult life and have just dipped my toes into the sea of blogging. I find the immediacy of writing in this way liberating, and the interactivity addictive. I've always thought that there was a book inside me somewhere, but maybe this is the way forward...
  • I write everyday.Short stories. Soap box rants. Still trying to figure out how to blog. Feel like it gives too much of my soul away.Funny huh since the stories and political commentaries are so much more revealing. Anyway wanted to mention that Sascha Illyvich has a great course on how to write(books) he is romance author but the theories and practices and work ethic apply to all genres.
  • I've had a love of writing forever but only recently got back into the habit. It's like you said, the more you do it the easier it is. But I also find that not only is it easier, it becomes almost addictive. Since I've gotten back into writing, I can't stop. All day I think about ideas to write about. When I have free time I want to spend it writing. My next step is to get back to reading. I can tell very easily that my writing needs improvement so reading is up next in my list of habits to form (or get back to). Great post, thanks!
  • Thanks for the post, Chris! I finished my first book in June, an expose that was near and dear to my heart. I no sooner finished that and an opportunity came for another as co-author on the same topic but from another perspective. The first was difficult going but the second, fun and inspiring. 2008 was spent writing those and in retrospect, one of the best years of my life.

    Your writing style is wonderful--passionate, clear, and always great content.. Can't wait to read your book. Why don't you blog about the writing of it as you go along? You'll be creating a "how-to" and helping to demystify the process for many. I think everyone has a book inside begging to be put to paper.
  • Amazing post! Really helpful! I have been working on my writing skills but with a major difference: English is a foreign language for me, I'm from Brazil. It's hard work man...
  • This was a great post. Few people acknowledge your second step of thinking like a writer. When I'm feeling stuck in my fiction writing, I have been known to find a movie or TV show able to give me a quick shot of inspiration.

    You could really classify it as simply living mindfully.
  • I especially liked your part 2. I'll often conceive an idea in the shower or while driving or whatever. And when you get an idea, jot it down (Dave Winer uses Twitter for this; private or semi-private FriendFeed rooms can work just as well).

    One thing that you implied, but didn't really state explicitly, was to write in a lot of different media. Books, tweets, posts, thank-you notes, blog comments, what have you.
  • Very nice post!
    At first I read parts of the it (a sentence here and there) and I thought how it reminds me of myself and the book "On Writing" by whatshisname, Stephen King. Second time I came here, I read it from beginning to end and when I saw you asked that question AND recommended the book I had to share it in a comment.

    As a (Hebrew) writer, I second everything you wrote but I have a slight problem (I had it too when I read 'On Writing') with the part of the "discipline". I relate to my writings as 'art' not business and/or therapy :) and I believe art cannot be forced. (I too write all the time, it's not the issue). I'm saying, practice makes you better and what makes you and me writers is what you beautifully said up here, the fact that you convert everything to text in your head and you-know.
    Talent cannot be learned, technique does.

    Anyway, never stop writing! I enjoy EVERY post of yours,
    Ronen.
  • This was very inspiring! While I've been blogging for a while I've started to do some writing as a part time gig today. We'll see where that goes but #1 thing is I enjoy it. I related with your mention of reading everything, writing as much as possible (with Twitter and blogging you have no excuses) and structures. Copyblogger.com is another great source of tips.
  • Thanks Chris!

    As that other great writer said, "words, words, words." I am addicted to words, and toil over every one I commit to.

    Your words in this post are great, and well chosen. Thanks for that. I, too, am writing at all times, and I attribute it to three things I am ALWAYS doing:

    LISTENING. OBSERVING. THINKING.

    That is how I write. The hard work is done long before the pen hits the paper (or the fingers hit the keyboard keys....)

    The other wonderful thing about writing as an avocation (or occupation) is that it truly requires no tools other than your mind. If you can think, you can write. How many other jobs/hobbies are that simple (and yet that complicated).

    Good stuff!

    - Sass
  • @fayl - I do a 10 hour workday and I now write 2 blogs ;) - 1 I began two years ago, the other last September. You're right - it's hard work, but I just enjoy blogging so although it's work that has to fit around everything else somehow I manage to find time to blog. I also write articles. I am planning a book - my goal this year is to outline it. In terms of actual writing, I'm a voracious reader and always have been. I also write proposals, plans, presentations, business cases sales copy and more.

    Of them all, Blogging is the most liberating because it allows me to share my opinions with others.It's also less formal. I get ideas for blog posts from everywhere. I either record them, bookmark them and develop them later. Or sometimes I will have a whole post in my head and have to write it there and then.

    I agree - writing is about reading regularly and practicing. You don't have to wait until you are perfect, because that day won't come, just start and do a little - even 15 minutes each day does wonders. Blogging is a great way to practice by the way.

    @mitch - I went back to Windows Live Writer after reading your post about tools you use. It makes blogging so much fun! There are time though when I write everything out by hand first or my main idea... then finish with WLW.
    @Jared O'Toole - I'm with you there. Worrying about what everyone will think can choke off your creativity. I prefer to just write and see what evolves.
  • You write what every new, frustrated, experienced, or former writer should read. Great post Chris.
  • Well that's just blown Ms. Jennex's claim that she writes this blog CLEAN out the water!! ;-)

    Information is the weapon of choice for the battle-weary writer. You need reinforcements to carry on the fight, you learn from those that have fought the wars before you.

    Of course, having your good self in the battle and training the troops is worth an extra battalion or two on its own. ;-)
  • The wonder of the web at 9 pm on a Sunday evening in Seattle. I have been struggling under a deadline for my first book, and the holidays just got me completely off track. Out of the blue a read a tweet from @mitchjoel about this post from you, and I read it on my Blackberry. Your comments made me run (literally) down the hall to my desk and read it again on my desktop.

    Excellent guidance with the perfect words to move me back onto the track. The right time, the right place, and the right words that will prove their worth many times over. Thanks for sharing your brain!
  • Great ideas, particularly the point about the difference in writing blogs vs. books, as Seth Godin typifies. I love his blog – it has an incredible variety of topics, solid insights, and gets to the point in an engaging and direct fashion.

    He made the statement at the end of “The Dip” that readers wanted him to write shorter. It’s understandable because he’s a GREAT “short” writer, but not a great “long” writer, at least as demonstrated by “The Dip” and "Tribes.”

    Each has an intriguing main thesis you "get" from a quick scan of each book. The main points aren't supported by much concrete information on how to implement or incorporate them into your actions though. Just the message to go forth and do it, which he repeats that 87 times to fill up a small book. I may be a voice of one, but his blog is wonderful and his books are so-so.
  • Tim
    Chris,
    I needed to hear this and put it into practice. Thanks for the kick in the pants!
  • Thanks. I needed that. A lot.
  • You guys are so much smarter than me. I'm glad you swing by and leave your thoughts. I get something from every single one of these interactions.
  • Chris,

    1) You look cute!

    2) You read my mind. I am currently working on my book and it's hard. Well, harder than I imagined. This is EXACTLY what I needed. Thank you. = )
  • It definately takes a different approach and discipline to write a book. Writing a blog is often right to the point. Just the meat. Writing a book requires a greater explanation of the details. No quick photo or image that makes the point obvious. No quick wit to solve a problem (unless it's a really short book)
  • Another brief yet worthwhile book is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield where he talks about facing and beating your resistance - every single day. Do you find yourself resisting Chris? Was 'Kill some of your video game playing (some)' a big fat clue as to where you might allow yourself to procrastinate? ;)
  • Nice post, Chris. Some very helpful tips in here. I've also been an avid reader for as long as I could remember.

    Today, I was thinking about how I excited I was about the number of people who seemed to enjoy a particular blog post. I had one of those "looking in from the outside" experiences and, realizing how much more seriously I take writing than I thought I would, decided I know what I want to be "when I grow up" (I'm 37) - I want to be a writer. (having chosen the "website" category over the "personality/writer" category for my blog's facebook fan page may have subconsciously nagged my mind towards that as well).

    At that moment, I thought about how many life/career coaches encourage you to think about what it was you as a kindergartner wanted to be when you grow up. And I remembered, long before thoughts of being a vet, park ranger, or Jungle Cruise guide, I wanted to be "an author" when I grew up.

    As with every other trip I've taken in life, I guess I may have gotten myself a bit lost, distracted by other sites on the way, but managed to get to the place I was seeking.

    One thing I think you have (and -being unemployed - I have) that others may not is the luxury of time. Reading so many blogs, tweeting conversations and getting inspired, and taking time to write each day is time consuming. It's a labor of love, but one I'm not sure I'd have the stamina for at the end of a 10+ hour work day (because face it, whose job lets them work just 8 hours a day any more?).

    Thanks for yet another inspirational post. It was the final "click" to make me realize, "I am a writer".
  • If you want more time to read -- kill your TV. I couldn't agree more. I'm a writer and reporter and while I have never been a big TV consumer, I have noticed since ditching cable (so I only get TV shows online) I have even less desire to watch TV and I have more desire to read, something I do voraciously anyway. People who want to write novels say "I want to but I can't find the time." There is always time. You make the time. And the more time you make the better it gets. The more time you read, the better you can write. The more you can write, the more you can write. Sound obvious and simple? It is! It's like anything -- you need practice, relentless practice. The only way to write a book is to park your butt in the chair every day and put your fingers on the keyboard. Hard work? Hell yeah. Rewarding? Possibly the most rewarding thing you can do professionally.
  • Chris, this post blew me away! I felt your passion. As someone who is literally using writing to attain their goals, I was very inspired by this post. Something happens to an idea the moment you put it on paper. Its like it suddenly becomes more powerful and more meaningful, at which point you can really start to refine it. Looking forward to more of the same from you in 09'!
  • Impressive! I'm amazed you can read so much each week. Very helpful description of the process you use. Thanks!

    Here are a few questions that come to mind for me:
    - You don't seem to need to spend a lot of time doing research or fact-checking? The reading is the research, I suppose?
    - I often find that I plan to write one thing but it morphs into something totally different as I write it? Does that happen to you, too?
    - Is it easier, harder, or just different to write with someone else?
  • Man-oh-man how this resonates with me tonight as I go back and forth between writing my book and jotting down ideas for blog posts. As a trained journalist, who has been writing and producing TV news stories for a long time, I know how to tell a story. But this book project is something quite different. It has made writing a blog seem like cake. I agree that being an avid reader is a huge help, I've also found though that it can send me into many directions and when I'm trying to focus on a certain area this isn't necessarily the best thing. So, I've learned how to do both. I can focus and then take ideas that don't go with my area of focus and place them on a different word document or elsewhere on the page. It really helps. I like Mitch Joel's recommendations a few comments ahead of mine as well. Oh, and just going back through some of my BackType comments has unleashed earlier ideas of mine that had retreated to a different area of my brain.
  • Absolutely agree that a key part of writing is thinking about what you're going to write, all the time. I also agree how much harder it is to write a book. I'm trying to finish my doctoral thesis and it is so hard to get started each day, because it's so bloody BIG and permanent. Good luck with your book.
  • There isn't much I can add that hasn't been said by someone else other than this brilliant post applies to not only writing or reading, but for all passions and callings. Things worth doing are worth putting time and effort into. Immerse yourself, and with a little skill and a lot of work - things will pay off.
  • Mary Ann
    I appreciate this post. I can't remember who said, "Hard writing makes easy reading. Easy writing makes hard reading." Computers make it easy for a lot of people to write, but many of them don't read -- and it shows in their writing. As Chris says here, it takes a lot of hours of practice writing and pulling apart what other people have written to write well. Writers not only have to write, they have to read like writers. There are no shortcuts!

    Chris, you say "it’s a lot harder to write a book than blog posts." It sure is! I'd like to read more about why you think that's so.
  • Inspiring, Chris. I thought I read and wrote a great deal, but now I understand much better how you get to be your version of the superhero in all those comic books you devour.

    All this begs the question of what super strength we each want. The type of attention you've given to reading and writing shows your decision. But even though many of us are content producers, we have to figure out whether it's writing, or video, or art, or perhaps some other skill entirely to which we want to dedicate ourselves.

    If nothing else your point is something all parents should heed warning to, because in the business world there are those who can write and those who cannot. 'Tis a pity, because poor writing skills will haunt people forever, and most of these seeds need to be planted early.

    Now back to my point: thank you, Chris, for helping me to feel human. I see why you're able to produce as you do now...and it helps me to better consider my own amount of production a little bit more...

    Thank you for writing.
  • Nice one, Chris! Can you follow this up with how to get over the temporary blocks? How to avoid having writer's blocks would be even better.
  • Great post! (as usual!)

    Thanks for posting this--I've been telling essentially this same stuff to my students and writer-wannabe friends for years. I'm glad you put it so well (I'm going to be sending them your URL --it's better for them to hear it from you than from me!).

    As a professional technical editor-writer, I work with writing all day. I find my time on Squidoo, Twitter, and my blog(s) to be my "recreational" play time -- with writing stuff I'm passionate about. *Play* time with writing is essential for getting better with writing. Expressing oneself with writing can be fun. The more you write the fun stuff, the better you get with the "professional" stuff.

    Best regards,
    Dave Gardner (aka EditorDave)
    http://www.squidoo.com/teaching_writing
  • Great post Chris (as always... but you knew that ;)

    I just delivered the last round of edits back to my Publisher today. So, I know exactly where you are at and what you are going through. Stay strong!

    A couple of things that have helped me:

    1. For something longer than a Blog post (like a book), I recommend spending a good deal of time upfront on the proposal. The book proposal (if done right) can then be your guide. That's what I did. So, instead of worrying about if I forgot something or if I was writing on theme, I could follow the proposal/guide. I wound up with about 20,000 extra words in a file called "leftovers". No idea if they will ever see the light of day, but having that structure enabled me see a beginning, middle and end and kept me on target.

    2. For Blogs, I use Windows Live Writer. My best tip would be to write your main points into bullet-points, and just flow through them. This seems to create some semblance of structure.

    Lastly, you made a killer point that I hope did not get overshadowed. When I read, I am reading on two levels. 1, to get the content and enjoy it. 2. to learn more about how to write. I can't tell you how often I've read a book and learned more from the writing style than the content. The exact same is applicable to speaking and presenting as well.

    To be a great writer you have to be a voracious reader. No short cuts.
  • Cheri Renee
    Nice! I enjoyed this.
  • Fandamntastic post. Couldn't have said it better myself. My favorite reading? Catch-22 and William H. Gass (essayist you'll often find in Harper's). Good writing (structure as well as content) brings tears to my eyes. I write even and especially when I'm doing dishes or vacuuming the house. That's why I can't have a maid. Need the material.
  • As you said, reading is the most important thing before you start writing seriously, it seems pretty obvious, but it isn't. Thanks for the "formula". I love posts like this one :)
  • I've been a copyeditor for the last 15 years. In the last two to three weeks I've become a voracious reader of blogs (because I've started blogging and I need to learn the rules of the road). The lack of copyediting has been a bit of a shock to the system. Of course, copyediting is more for books than blogs, but there's no question that copyediting adds clarity (when it's done well, anyway). At the very least, reread your posts before you post them. Even better, read them out loud. Language is 2 parts meaning, 1 part music. So it helps if you're a musician (not kidding here).
  • This has been a great inspiration for me to write more. Thank you very much for this insightful post.

    V
  • And Chris the machine right to another post! I do not know how you do it.
  • I also read and re-read Stephen King's book. I admire his work ethic, the fact that he writes every single day.

    I agree that writing a book is hard work. A writer has to be O.K. with spending hours and hours alone at the computer. I published a fantasy novel last year and, even with the help of a gifted editor, the process was a trial by fire.
  • "Me? I communicate. It’s what drives everything forward for me. "

    I recently started a forum for writers and one of the first threads was "Why do you write?" My answer: I think I write for the same reason I started this board. I like entertaining people and sharing with them. I am a pretty simple gal.

    Thanks for the inspiration to continue getting my hands dirty.
  • This post is really helpful, I like to "Get in, Get Your Hands Dirty".
  • That was How to Write Fast not How to Writing Fast. Sorry.
  • I, um, usually hate leaving "yeah" comments, but ... yeah.

    I write constantly. Somehow. Words are *my* mechanism of choice when it comes to communicating, so I practice using them all the time. Even when I'm talking, I'm framing things as though I'm writing them. I break things down into chapters or sections in my head constantly. And I get that same spaced out look all the time in conversation because I'm either visualizing the words on paper, or mentally putting them in boxes for later. It's habitual. When you do it enough, it just becomes something you do rather automatically (if that's the way you think in the first place).

    That said, I'm a big proponent of riding the flow of writing. Sometimes it comes in large, rolling waves and I'm up until 3 in the morning getting it out (otherwise I can't sleep anyway). Sometimes it feels like I'm forcing it, so I leave it be. But tapping that flow gets easier once you're tuned into it. And somehow, the more often you're willing to take inspiration as it comes, the more often it shows up.

    Thanks for sharing this, Chris. I'm sure it's helpful for those who are trying to cultivate their writing habits, but it's equally validating for those of us who have one cobbled together, warts and all.
  • Put some goggles on and nose plugs and you're head will explode. :) Thanks for this. I need better writing habits and skills. I think Problogger had something recently on How to Writing Fast. Since I'm writing part time any change in thoughts on writing helps. Thanx.
  • Re: "If you and I are having coffee and my eyes glaze for a second, I’m probably thinking about how something might be worded, or I just got a new topic idea for a blog post."

    I've done that before. A few times, people thought I wasn't listening. But I am. I'm just constantly thinking is all. But I have to admit, sometimes I struggle with how to phrase things. But then that's why I share with my network and talks things out. Collaboration = clarity (at least most times).

    Even when it comes to the blog, every now and again, I wonder how I might word something. I think this year, I might a little multi-media (audio and video) to compliment the written text. It'll be new (a test run if you will). But maybe, maybe, it'll help in some way.

    Thanks Chris...thanks for the insight into how you do what you do!
  • Sierra Inman
    Loved it, thanks Chris, and this is my - "reading" part. keep it coming like that.
    Peace.
  • I do this (sans the awards and books). Appreciate it the knowledge. Will check back for more.
  • Motivating article, Chris. I do have a question. You write how ideas often come to you at times when doing something else ... working out, having coffee ... so how do you remember those ideas for later use? Do carry a note pad with you? :) I too often forget these enlightened moments if I don't find a way to notate it.
  • Would you say your attitude is along the lines of "Just do it"? Don't worry about cranking out amazing work. Just get the keys flowing and the magic will work its way out? That is the point of view I have taken. One of the reason I love Google Docs. I have an instant shared word processor available at any internet connection in the world. Always available, always current.

    I concur also with the writing helping the speaking. I am working on writing a speach right now in another tab. It also gets easier over time. Just have to get those keys moving.

    Later.
  • I am so with you on #2. I am writing CONSTANTLY. And when I stop writing constantly, that's when I have nothing to blog about. Which is rare, as my regular readers can attest, lol. They ask me if I ever run out of things to say. Ummm, no. Not usually. ;-)

    Love your advice #1. I've allowed myself to get too busy to read. Thanks for the kick in the butt.

    I'm off to order the books you just linked to!
  • Behind good writers are usually good copy editors. Good content helps the blood flow.
  • Personally the biggest thing that has helped my writing is to stop worrying about what everyone thinks. I have tons of ideas and opinions everyday. However I used to pick and choose which ones I talk about and even those I would over analyze what I wrote to make sure it was "good enough".

    Now I have begun to just write what I think and leave it at that. No need for perfect organization or perfect grammar. Obviously I look over what I write but just getting used to the idea of not worrying about being perfect every time has improved my writing tremendously.
  • DrV
    Cool post. Writing is aboslutely a habit - as is creativity. And I though i was the only person who had a notebook with me all the time!
  • jon
    10,000 hours.
    That's what Gladwell says in "outliers" and colvin in "talent is overrated" and the other deliberate practice people say it takes to get to be world-class. 10,000 hours, 10 years, of working at the complex skill area, looking for weaknesses, refining those areas, focusing, sharpening.
    The reason you write the way you do as well as yo udo as quickly as you do is...
    more than 10,000 hours.
  • Truly inspiring stuff! It could easily been an article/post about passion. Passion is what moves the world forward... in the right direction. Thnx!
  • Funny thing is we have both had those moments while talking to each other. The distraction thing that is. You were thinking about writing and I was thinking about a movie quote from 1982. You're obviously better at the writing thing.
  • I find that to get better at writing, you just need to write. As rudimentary as that sounds, just continue to write daily and you will improve, find your voice, and get more proficient. The key is consistently write, even if you have nothing to say. Sit down for XX number of hours each day and put something down on paper (or virtual paper). You may produce 90% mumbo-jumbo, but you will be training yourself to write, and you'll still have 10% good stuff.

    Matt
  • @Jamie - quite true. You've just hit on my kryptonite. I don't proofread. And I'm a cruddy editor. Thank the sweet zombie that Julien and I will have a professional editor for the book. I couldn't edit if I tried. Well, not my own writing.
  • I think proofreading and editing is just as important as content. Good content does not evolve with out great editing and great proofreading.
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