A former features editor at a major metropolitan daily newspaper, Daphne Gray-Grant is a writer, editor and writing coach. Go to her WEBSITE where you can sign up for her free weekly newsletter or buy her popular book, 8 1/2 Steps to Writing Faster.
Articles by this Author
I know the feeling. You really, really, really don't want to write. You're blocked. You've hit the wall. The words just won't come. You're bereft of inspiration.
I
recently started and finished a tiresome editing project that had
been hanging over my head for about two months. In my defense, I can
say the delay was the result of some holidays and also some
excruciating back pain. But, if I was honest, I'd also have to admit
I was, well, procrastinating.
Writing is a little bit like giving directions. As the writer, you know the landscape. You’ve had the benefit of doing the research, conducting the interviews, pondering the material and then, actually writing it.
"Why should I want to write quickly?" That gauntlet, thrown down by a colleague recently, caused me to sit back -- rather like an astronaut pressed into the chair by G-forces. But for me, the only force was astonishment.
This week's column is about mistakes and I am supremely well qualified to write it. I'm the idiot who once let an email subject line read, "Why you should ignore your grammer checker."
Have
you ever encountered a four-year-old who hasn't eaten enough? It's
not pretty. It almost always involves a tantrum with screaming and
tears -- and maybe even kicking and punching. But offer some apple
juice, fishy crackers and a cheese string and, voila, the problem is
usually solved.
People frequently ask me how many times they should rewrite. I try to dodge this question because, in truth, there is no easy answer. Pieces of writing are like snowflakes; each is unique. There are, however, some questions you can ask yourself for guidance
