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Posts Tagged ‘reviewing’

Review Often. Or, How I Don’t Follow my Own Advice

January 14th, 2012 2 comments

So, how did your year go? No, I’m not interested in who you snogged at the new year’s eve party! I’m talking about writing. Focus! Read more…

Categories: Planning Tags: ,

Inspiration and Resolutions

January 1st, 2011 No comments

Well, it’s that time of year isn’t it? 2011 is looming upon us, and it is a time to reflect on the year that has passed, and the year ahead. But before I get onto that, I’d like to talk a little bit about inspiration. Read more…

Oi! No slacking!

May 10th, 2010 3 comments

It seems that there is a definite downside to the tracking method I use. While it can be very encouraging, I personally have a tendency to relax and shirk off if I’ve done well. Read more…

5 tips for receiving feedback

January 14th, 2010 No comments

Asking for feedback is a must if you want to improve your writing. Of course, getting the feedback might not be a pleasant experience. That makes it all the more important that you get the most out if it, so here are my five top tips fir receiving feedback on your writing. Read more…

2009 in review

January 9th, 2010 No comments

Well, it’s the end of another year. Goodbye 2009. And hello 2010! I hope you all had great new year celebrations, and are looking forward to a whole new year of writing improvement! Of course, a new year is traditionally a time of reflection, and of goal setting. Today, I have been looking over the stats I gathered last year to see how I’ve been doing and what I need to improve on. Read more…

Crap – I stopped again

November 21st, 2009 No comments

You join me at the end of a poor week for writing. Well, for my writing, anyway. I previously blogged about a break, asking if it’s a good idea. Well, despite my intentions it seems I’ve had a break anyway. Read more…

Let it simmer

August 20th, 2009 No comments
Okay, so your first draft. You have written your masterpiece. You’re aware that now begins the honing and chipping to get everything just so. But you’ve read it over and read it over again, and apart from a few tweaks it seems fine. But is it really?<!–more–>
One thing teachers and my mother always told me when it came to editing – leave it for a bit. Of course, then it mostly applied to schoolwork – essays and their ilk. So it was not always practical to leave the work and not look at it for a while, especially if the woprk was done at the last minute! But it does help to file it away somewhere for a couple of weeks; a month if you can, and let it simmer.
The problem is you’ve had your head right in it for weeks (or months for longer projects), and you’ve completely lost your objectivity. Ideally you should be coming at it as if it’s someone else’s work (I don’tknow about you, but I always find it easier to edit someone else’s efforts), as if you are reading it for the first time. Now, it may be impossible to reach that ideal, but you can get pretty close. You will find a lot more things to change and it will be a better piece of work because of it.
I reckon the best time to do it is when you think the work is finished. Do a quick round of editing perhaps, to pick up anything obvious, and when it feels like you’re just about done, put it away. It’s not like you’re going to be twiddling your thumbs for the next month – start a new project. Keep reading, keep writing. And this may go on for several rounds. I like to do one extra round just in case anyway, but if you’ve made sweeping changes, re-written whole pages, you might want to check that they still ring true after another month.
Who amongst us does somehting similar? How long do you leave your work for, and do you show people before or after you’ve finished editing?

Okay, so your first draft is done. You have written your masterpiece. You’re aware that now begins the honing and chipping to get everything just so. But you’ve read it over and read it over again, and apart from a few tweaks it seems fine. But is it really? Read more…

Categories: Editing Tags: , ,

The Dip – Seth Godin

June 4th, 2009 No comments

Seth Godin’s new book has been getting a lot of press. Primarily aimed at businesses, it is being touted as another book with ‘the answer’ about how to approach your work and your life. The back of the book proudly proclaims that it “will forever alter the way you think about success”. Well, I don’t know about that, but I wouldn’t just dismiss it as uselessly stating the obvious, like some have. Read more…

How Do I Measure Success?

May 22nd, 2009 No comments

It’s hard for me to see whether I am improving in my writing. I don’t mean ability. That can wait for a bit. At the moment it’s about volume. Honestly, I’m so poor with the amount of time I spend writing, that any time doing it is considered good at the moment. But then, without regularly churning out work, how can I judge that I’m getting better? When does a little bit become a little bit more? Read more…

Reviewing your progress

March 2nd, 2009 No comments

One thing that goes hand in hand with planning your goals and how you will spend your time is reviewing. How do you know if you’re still on track if you don’t review where you’re at? Read more…

Categories: Planning Tags: , , ,