Writing is one of those metaphorical mountains that can seem really really high. It seems paradoxical when you weren't able to get started yesterday that the way forward is to do LESS. But this is often the case when we're dealing with a task that we've built up so big.
Has this every happened to you: you weren't able to get yesterday's tasks done so you added those tasks to today's list, making today's to-do list even more insurmountable? I see this all the time with clients -- particularly those who are working on dissertation writing or other independent writing tasks.
If you were stuck yesterday, look at what you planned to do, what you "should have gotten done," and cut it in half. Make that your to-do item for today.
Have you been stuck for weeks or months? You CAN NOT make up for lost time today. Instead, make this your task for today: free write about anything for 5 minutes. Or 2 minutes is you feel yourself resisting 5 minutes. Or 1 minute if you feel resistance toward 2 minutes. Just get that pen on paper (or fingers on keyboard) and write.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Does this sound familiar to any procrastinators out there?
What's 750words.com all about?
Writers, dissertators, academics! How have I gone this long without sharing 750words.com? I'm always talking about lowering the stakes for first drafts (zero drafts). And 750words is a tool designed to help with just that. It's perfect for those of you who start writing with free-writing. And even more perfect for those of you who are working on establishing a daily writing habit.
Here's the general idea: 750 words = about 3 pages. You head to 750word.com & log in. 750words will open a new blank page for the day and you get writing. It tracks your number of words and saves your writing. It lets you know how many days you've met your goal. It's a very simple text editor so you can't get too caught up in formatting. You just write. Simple. Right?
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