In my last Writers’ Circle post, I asked our writers to report on whether they achieved their March writing goals and what they had planned for April.  Writers’ Circle member Adam kindly reminded me that I hadn’t updated the group on my own progress.

So here goes.  I have met my goal, but that’s not saying much.  My goal’s phrasing was way too vague to be helpful: it was “refine my argument.”  I will update you on my progress, set a new, more focused goal, and announce some other changes I’ll be making in order to make this goal more of a priority.

As you may remember, I’ve been working on a scholarly article on seventeenth-century English poet John Donne.  I have an academic journal in mind, and I have reviewed some of their recent issues to get a sense of the kind of work being published by that venue. 

One of the challenges of this article is that I’m applying a particular theological concept to one of Donne’s devotional poems.  As you know, I am a literary scholar, not a theologian.  Literary studies as an academic discipline regularly pulls theories from other disciplines to inform our readings of literary texts.  However, it can be daunting to try to understand another discipline well enough to use a certain theory appropriately. 

If you don’t do enough research, you risk misusing your material and constructing a flawed argument.  On the other hand, it’s easy to sink months into reading, reading, reading background material until your mind is so filled with other people’s ideas that your own project becomes more conceptually remote than when you had the initial idea.  In a strange way, too much research can be an academic’s way of procrastinating.

So, I have boned up on some of the theological material that I didn’t feel comfortable with, and I have copies to refer to and citations to find more detailed information.  In short, it’s time to draft.  As drafting goes, I’m a potter, so I’ll probably write three times as much text as I’ll need for the final article (which will be 20-25 pages).  I draft to discover: it’s just the way I work.  So what’s my goal for April? 

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Technorati Tags: goal setting, priorities, writing

 Hi, Everyone -

I’m pleased to announce that I wrote a guest post for The Positivity Blog.  It’s called How You Can Use Proposals to Achieve Your Goals.  The post considers the logic underlying proposals and extracts personal development ideas from it.   I hope you’ll check it out!

If you’re new to Writing Power, welcome!  I’m glad you’re here.  If you’d like to get an overview of the site and some of the most popular articles, check out a little site summary post I did recently: Welcome To Writing Power.

If you like what you read, I hope you’ll subscribe to Writing Power’s RSS feed. 

Cheers!

Loren

Technorati Tags: blog writing, proposals, writing tips

 Friday afternoon has to be my favorite time of the week, and not because it’s the end of the work week.  I love Friday afternoons because as I look toward the weekend, I see oodles of productive writing time ahead.  I’ll be able to get so much work done this weekend!  I can’t wait.  I’ll start… first thing tomorrow.  I mean, no sense in doing it right now.  Who ever heard of writing on Friday night? 

And so it begins.  The series of rationalizations that will lead inexorably to my least favorite time of the week: Sunday evening.  (A downside of being creative is that you can too often sell yourself a bridge in Brooklyn.)   Sunday evenings are as filled with self-recrimination as Friday afternoons are filled with optimism.  Somehow, the weekend slips by and I find I’ve done a fraction of the writing I had dreamed of doing. 

I think my problem is one of expectations, not productivity.  I do get things done each weekend.  But on Fridays, I dream up these grandiose plans.  I need to practice setting realistic goals.

So, Writers’ Circle, it’s time to do two important things: 1) share your progress for March, and 2) set your goals for April.  When May comes around, what would you like to have done? 

If productivity and motivation are challenging for you in terms of your writing, set goals that will inspire you to push yourself.  If you tend to set pie-in-the-sky goals (as I do) that actually work against you, then pare your goals down.

What?  You’re not a member of Writing Power’s Writers’ Circle?  It’s easy to join: just introduce yourself to the group in this post’s comments and share your writing projects and goals.  To meet the Circle’s amazing current members, click here.

 If you like what you’ve read, I hope you’ll become a regular reader by subscribing to Writing Power’s RSS feed.  In addition, please consider sharing your favorite posts through sites like digg, StumbleUpon, or del.icio.us using the “Share This” link below.  Thank you for your support!

Technorati Tags: writers circle, writing, writing support

 Welcome, Lifehack readers!  Thanks for visiting Writing Power.  Three to five times a week, I offer tips and tricks designed to help enrich your life by improving your writing.  My writing experience comes from the academic and business writing worlds, but at Writing Power I try to offer information that can help anyone who writes in some capacity and wants to approach his or her writing more strategically.

If you’re new to Writing Power, the following posts will give you a sense of this site’s scope:

Use Writing To Make Yourself Irreplaceable

Seek And Destroy Your Writing Style Enemies

Make Your Writing A “Must Read”

Hack Unfulfilled Intentions

Writing Power’s Proper Usage Guide: A

Drafting Process: The Potter vs. The Sculptor

If you like what you read, I hope you’ll subscribe to Writing Power’s RSS feed. 

Cheers!

Loren

Technorati Tags: blog writing, writing tips

 A couple of weeks ago, I introduced Writing Power’s Writers’ Circle, a way to get motivation, support, and encouragement from other writers.  As of today, our merry band has four members.  Is it too late to join?  Not at all - the more, the merrier. 

You can jump into the Writers’ Circle any time.  All you need to do is introduce yourself in the comments.  What kind of writing do you do?  What would you like to improve?

Now that we’ve introduced ourselves to each other, it’s time to get motivated.  So, Writers’ Circle members new and old, let’s set some goals. 

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Technorati Tags: blog writing, peer review, writing, writing circle, writing tips

I wrote a guest post for LivSimpl, a blog that focuses on achieving happiness through simplicity.  If you haven’t ever read it, I hope you’ll check it out. 

My post is entitled - what else -  “7 Ways to Simplify Your Writing.”  I hope you like it!

If you’re visiting from LivSimpl, welcome!  Writing Power provides daily tips and tricks to help you write better and live better.  Please take a look around, and if you like what you read I hope you’ll subscribe to Writing Power’s RSS feed. 

Cheers!

Loren

Technorati Tags: blog writing, writing tips

 Writing, like exercise, is something many of us want to do more regularly.  Just as we hope exercising will improve our fitness, we hope writing will improve our communication skills.  Exercise also has less tangible benefits like improved mood and increased energy.  Writing, too, can nourish our spirits and expand our life’s beauty. 

A person could even adopt the same types of motivational strategies to both writing and exercise: start gradually, do a little bit each day, choose a format that is fun for you…

Interestingly, the strategy that many people find most helpful when starting an exercise routine - exercise with a friend - applies to writing particularly well.  That’s why I propose that we start our own Writers’ Circle here at Writing Power. 

Why start a Writers’ Circle?  As I have said before, writers write.  To work on your writing - indeed, to be a writer - all you have to do is write.  But as with many things in our busy lives, it can be difficult to find the time to dedicate to writing.  Without some accountability, it’s easy to defer writing projects (and defer them, and defer them…).  Our Writers’ Circle will, I hope, give you some incentive to work on that writing.

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Technorati Tags: blog writing, peer review, writers circle, writing, writing tips

I just contributed a guest post to The Urban Monk entitled, “Following the Path to Writing Excellence.”  In it, I discuss the intersections between Buddhism and the writing craft.  If you’re interested, please check it out at

Following the Path to Writing Excellence » Personal Development - The Urban Monk. 

Thanks for your support!

Hi, everyone –

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!  Some major winter weather put Writing Power on hold for the last 48 hours, but we are back.

So look forward to two posts today.  Thanks for your patience.

Cheers,

Loren — Writing Power