Become a More Efficient Writer – Some Creative Ideas
Keep in mind these facts:
An A4 word processed page, with margins set to narrow (for best use of the space) and an Arial 12pt font, with around 10 short paragraphs will fit about 725 words on a page.
The Steps:
1/. When you have ideas, don’t let them float around in your head. Write them down and then you will be able to remember to use them!
2/. Do your research first, then do your writing, as then you will have the framework set in place to work with!
3/. Don’t do an edit while you write, unless it’s backtracking something you’ve accidentally missed out, as you will crossover between the Creative Writing side of your brain to the “other side” which is the critical editing side of your brain. What can happen is that you lose a lot of your creative style and it takes twice as long to finish off a writing exercise.
4/. When writing the initial draft don’t let exact dates, facts and figures slow you down. Let the creative content side of your brain work for you, then in the edit, check and proof dates, facts and figures. This enables the story to be written quicker with less disruptions. The ”gap fillers” of exact dates, facts and figures can be completed as you wrap up your masterpiece.
5/. When you get writer’s block – take a break, walk the dog, go for a surf, do something non-mental then come back to your work. You will be refreshed and much more creative than if you kept on trying to push yourself.
6/. Don’t leave your writing exercise till the last minute, you will only stress and won’t do as good a job as a well planned one.
7/. Keep away from visual distractions, the wifi, your phone, the tele, etc to enable your mind to single focus on the job in hand.
8/. Try to write a page a day. Particularly if it is going to be along piece of work. When I say “write”, I mean word process. On an A4 page, with margins set to narrow and using an 11pt font, with approximately 10 not too large paragraphs, you will fit around 720 words on a page. That includes a footer with the page number!
9/. When done do a constructive edit:
Ensure you are using a spelling and grammar checker.
Revise and proof read your work, more than once.
Read it out aloud and make sure what you have written makes sense.
Ensure with long documents that you take more time away from your writing. It’s incredible what you can
accomplish with your creative writing skills.
Finally, when completed, make the time to read it again, over a coffee and cake!
10/. When you are done, if possible have someone read over your work. Alternatively, if this cannot happen, the following day after completion of the work and the first read, do the second reading.