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2. Dr. Stephen Covey says, "Begin with
end in mind" when managing time. That same philosophy works just as well for writing projects. First, fully define project, including purpose and goals, and your reader. "A 150-page personal development self-help book for coaches on..." is an example. Minimally include word, page, and chapter counts, publishing plans, and description paragraph. Experts at annual Maui writer’s conference, highly recommend writing a 25-word description before you begin project.
3. Choose a structure that matches your writing style and results desired. Just like articles has six basic writing structures, so does fiction, science fiction, how-to, and other genres. As a new writer, you might want to master one structure at a time.
4. Outline and match to word count desired. The actual way you outline does not matter. Be it a napkin or toilet paper, mind map or clustering, computer or crayon. An outline reduces lard and helps minimize tangents. Write your project description at top of page, then, sketch out outline, keeping in mind word count and reader. Next, reduce number of items or branches to match your defined result.
Getting lard out of our writing before it indents a page is like getting lead out to exercise. Both require conscious commitment and continuous dedication. Yet, just like pounds, both will get lighter.
Catherine Franz is a writing coach. Additional articles and e-zines on writing, marketing and attraction can be found on her web site and blog: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com
