Listen Up and Improve your WritingWritten by Lisa Hood
Are you a good listener? Almost everyone will answer this question affirmatively. However, listening is not same as hearing; it requires concentration, effort and practice. To be an effective listener, you must be an active participant of communication, not just passive recipient. If you’re a writer, you need to be a good listener, no make that a GREAT listener. How can you create life-like dialogue, with its natural cadence, graceful as a dance, if you don’t listen to people in your life? “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” Ernest HemingwayDo you recognize any of these symptoms of poor listening? 1)Getting distracted, half listening, thinking about something else or what you plan to say next. Part of problem may be our ability to think four times faster then we can speak. It is easier to stay focused if you remove distractions. Some distractions may be internal: you’re ill, upset or you may be physically uncomfortable, while others are external: noise around you, kids, phone ringing, TV blaring. All these factors compete for your attention. If you can’t remove distractions, let speaker know that now may not be best time to have a conversation, because you can’t give 100% of your attention. 2)Assuming you understand what others have to say. You may be tempted to interrupt speaker. DON’T. Speakers appreciate having chance to say everything they would like to say without being interrupted. Jumping in before they are done will make you appear impatient, uninterested and rude. The speaker may be so annoyed they will withdraw from conversation. After all, why should they bother to speak if you know what they’re going to say? One of best ways to ensure you understand what was said is to ask clarifying questions. You don’t need to act like a parrot. If your speaker says “It’s raining outside.” don't respond with “Are you saying it’s raining outside?” When in doubt, it is a good idea to repeat in your own words what speaker said so that you can be sure your understanding is correct. 3)Being Competitive or Combative. Are you more interested in promoting our own point of view, rather than hearing other person? According to Stephen Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, you should “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.” In addition, Covey explains that we listen autobiographically, from our own perspectives, so we will judge what we hear. You may express disagreement through feedback, shaking your head or frowning when other person is speaking. You may look for weak points of flaws so you can contradict other person.
| | Going On A Word DietWritten by Catherine Franz
There are three ways to write a first draft. One is to ink whatever surfaces, in whatever order without regard to grammar, spelling or staying on topic. After free write, points, and message extracted for notes or an outline. Time is its adversary and clarity chisels its way forward slowly.Or start with a plan that minimally includes a purpose, description, chosen structure, word count, objective, points, message, and possibly a mind map or outline. Patience is its adversary and clarity benefit. Third, you hold pen, connect with your higher power, and allow recording session to begin. You become an aqueduct for a message, usually to humanity or yourself. Dr. Wayne Dwyer, on his PBS show with same name of his latest book, says, "I connected with God and book [Power of Intention] seemed to write itself. I didn't know what was going to appear nor did I do any planning." He continues to explain how a very lose but clear outline visually formed right before each writing session. It became clearer while he created an outline. The water just gushed afterwards and he could hardly keep up. Control is its adversary and clarity and enlightenment forms after writing. We frequently read that writing requires organization, clarity, focus, and discipline to write tight. Yet, seldom provided are methods on how to leave out lard "before" ink scratches page--saving editing time. Organization also contributes to lard remove. Some writers believe that organization stifles creativity while others take an opposite viewpoint. There is a compromise -- organization with a twinge of discipline. High productivity, a requirement of freelancers, requires organization. Here are four strategies on how you can eliminate excess words and increase productivity before they hit page: 1. Build massive creative steam before starting to write -- see and taste words before you begin. Robert Fritz, an expert and author on creativity, expands on this process with progressive clarity through each of his three books. Fritz explains how important it is to push idea, generating creative tension, until last part of first stage of creativity. He continues to explain how important it is to carry this first energy through to second stage, which doesn't carry its own energy. He also discusses how each of three stages requires a separate set of skills for writers. And why two top reasons why writers lose interest or drop projects--lost creative tension and didn't have skills for second stage, becomes frustrating, and gives up.
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