By Mary Jaksch
What are you working on right now?
A blog post? A novel? Your best article ever? A poem? A film script? An Ebook?
Maybe you’ve just finished something you’re really proud of? Or you just can’t tell whether it should get a Pulitzer or be thrown into the trash?
Or maybe you’re noticing some barriers that are getting in the way of your creativity?
Here’s your chance to share and discuss with each other what you are writing about. And how it’s going.
Whet our appetite with the opening paragraph of your future bestseller, give us a link to your best article, or tell us what you are writing at the moment.
Who knows, your piece might even attract the notice of a major publishing house!
Here are some guidelines:
A. Writers:
- State what aspect you’re working on. For example, you might want to say, “Here’s a link to my article “The Role of Rabbits in Nuclear Science”. I’m currently working on eliminating superfluous words.”
B. Commenters:
- When commenting, first list everything you really like about a piece.
- Only then offer careful suggestions.
- Treat each other with respect, friendliness, care, and honesty.
- Remember that we are all still learning.
Now it’s over to you. Take a deep breath. Then jump into the comment section and bring out your treasures!
Mary Jaksch is the Editor in Chief of Write to Done and writes the blog Goodlife ZEN. Together with Leo Babauta, Mary runs a spectacular training environment for bloggers: the A-List Blogger Club.
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Hot tip: Check out the A-List Blogger Club. We are going to open a few places shortly.
The A-List Blogger Club has changed my life. A month ago I didn’t know a tweet from a widget. Now I’m running my own blog and the club is right there with me. Everyday I connect with someone new, and not just connect, but get to know them, laugh with them, befriend, share, support and exchange ideas. Mary and Leo have created a community that is a reflection of who they are — generous, genuine and successful!
~ Katie Tallo of Momentum Gathering
Interesting…I’m working on creating actionable tips that will help bloggers and small-business owners understand and learn how to use Google Analytics to make their sites better.
That sounds like something really useful!
I’m working on keeping my topics narrow and my narrative concise and to the point on the topics I choose in my blog. Since I’m familiar with and comfortable with writing at length, it’s a challenge to focus so tightly and to say less than I might naturally prefer.
Can you give us a link to an example? I’d love to see it!
I am polishing up my e-book which is due for release in the next 2 weeks or so. Also doing standard blog posts and trying to return the favour for a few guest posts!
The one tip I have for e-book writing is to chip away at it slowly and steadily. Better to spend 30 minutes a day than 3 hours every few days.
Chris,
I work with the same methods for some of my writing. I have found it is better to split the work in such a way that one never kills oneself with work at any one session. One hour per day, five days per week is far better than 5 hours in one day. At least for me…
It is also a philosophy that Russian weight lifters have used for decades. I think they referred to it as having ‘multiple practices‘. :)
My continual work-in-progress is my blog, Positively Present. On the site (http://www.positivelypresent.com), I’m constantly writing articles relating to the concept of living happily ever after now, which basically means living a positive life in the present moment. One thing I am always struggling with is finding time to write as much as I want. I have a full-time job and it takes away a great deal from my ability to write all of the posts I would like to (I have TONS of ideas!) as well as taking away from time that could be spend promoting the blog. That being said, I still really enjoy any moment I get to write a post for the blog and can’t wait until the day when writing will become my full-time profession.
What’s the best post you’ve written recently. Give us a squizz, please.
I just started blogging last November, and I’m struggling to find my writer’s voice. Here are a couple articles that I’ve written in the past 2 weeks that are completely different in style:
This is a 2000 word beast that I wrote over the course of 3 days. http://www.control-yourself.org/2010/05/how-to-meet-your-wifes-needs-and-save-your-marriage/
This is a 700 word article that I wrote in about 30-45 minutes.
http://www.control-yourself.org/2010/06/never-run-away/
I’m interested in some good, constructive criticism — even if you think I should just call it quits! :)
It’s difficult to find the right length for a blog post. On Goodlife ZEN I write post between 700 and 1500. Longer than that is too long for most readers. You obviously have a lot to say. That’s good. The challenge is to write a long post, and then to cut it by one third.
My best article/essay would be this: http://nookcambia.blogspot.com/2009/04/god-of-small-things.html It is my impressions of The God of Small Things. I’m currently working on a post about The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger. I find that expressing my views on a book I’ve read enables me to appreciate the work better. Hoping to learn a lot from this exercise.
That’s very comprehensive article on “The God of Small Things”. It’s a book I love.
I think it’s good to focus on one key question: “What benefit am I offering my readers?”
How do you see the benefit, Sooraj
That is a point that has been bothering me for some time. I can see that not all would be interested in a full analysis like what was given above. Subsequently I have moved to shorter posts. I enjoy reading though provoking books and with my blog, I am attempting to share that joy.
I haven’t missed a day of blogging in over 6 years now. I use my blog as a daily journal, and I always strive for a well-written, humorous, account of my day. As intimated by the URL, I also look for “affirmations” throughout my day, whether they be implicit or explicit, as I’m a firm believer in the notion that the more you look for something, the more you’ll see it. As a user of public transportation on weekdays, I always try to include a snapshot of what happens on the bus on the days I ride it. I refer to these as the “Buscapades,” and several people who read my blog regularly have told me that that’s the thing they most like about it. And, finally, I strive to make my very ordinary days interesting in some way. Thank you for any comments and feedback.
Oh, I probably should have pointed to an entry with a “quintessential” buscapade in it, which would have been this one: http://dailyafirmation.livejournal.com/816917.html
I’ve written almost 50 short stories, with 40 of them already published. I was recently (two weeks ago) published twice in the “Westside Weekly”, a local newspaper in Central British Columbia.
I placed 2nd in the Strong Opening Scene Contest two weeks ago. My 500 word entry can be found at:
http://www.strongscenecontest.com/2010/05/mays-finalists-2010.html
As I work on my fourth novel now, I’m actively trying to retain agent representation for my first novel of a trilogy involving an 18 year old who receives premonitions of crime and death. The opening scene is at the link above.
That short story has got plenty of tension. I could imagine an interesting novel emerging from that.
I’m currently editing, and trying to learn the distinction between the desire to make changes that improve the story and the desires of an overactive internal critic. Some days I understand more than others.
We should all shoot that internal, infernal critic! Or at least muzzle him or her until we’ve got a piece down.
I am trying to simply, write from my heart and help others if possible, along the way.
And you succeed….
Here’s a short story I’m touching up. The focus of it was a) the voice of the narrator, and b) descriptions that felt natural and didn’t take the reader out of the story.
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzKvPisSAUdAYTAzNTg1ZTItZjE5ZC00MzUyLWE0ZGQtZjI3Y2NlMGU3ZWNk&hl=en
I enjoyed that. What a great idea to catch a baby tornado and put it in a jar!
Here’s the most recent thing I’ve found on writing and it’s really helped my writing. http://allehall.wordpress.com give it a look. :) Thanks
I don’t have a link to share since I don’t have a blog up and running yet but that’s what I am working on. I am writing most days now and I have set myself the goal of writing two articles a week (fresh and unpolished) and then also polishing two articles a week from my backlog of unpolished articles. I know I am meant to be a writer and I want to get a blog up and running soon but I’m scared. So when I show myself that I have the stamina to keep a steady pace of writing going I think I will be more ready to put it out there. Out there in the world. Taking the leap! Yes, that’s what I am working on.
You sound like someone who’s definitely going to catch the blogger bug!
Thanks Mary, you put a big smile on my face! I’ve been writing almost all my life but in a very unfocused way, then in the past year or so for some reason that has changed and it’s as if I suddenly running on different fuel. I’m thinking of doing your blogging bootcamp, not because I need to have a huge blog but because it would be so great to learn from bloggers whom I admire so much, but do you think it would be best to wait until I get my blog started?
Not that it’s any of my business to chime in here, Kathryn and Mary, but if I were you, Kathryn, I would jump right into the club as soon as you can, blog or no blog. It’s a great place to get advice as you take those first steps. You’ll have lots of questions, I know I did and it was invaluable to have someone to answer them within the hour, usually. You’ll also gain lots of courage from having your hand held along the way. We’ll give you a good yank in fact, so join up. It’s a great bunch. I only started blogging two months ago and I was just as scared, but like you, I was fueled by something and just had to do it. You don’t have to do it alone. Best of luck.
Thanks for your input Katie I really appreciate it, and especially from someone who stood in a similar place not so long ago! I’ll probably go ahead and put myself on the wait list soon. You’re right I do have a few ground level questions/conundrums to figure out, one being the niche or narrow scope idea. My topics aren’t hugely varied but I don’t like the idea of tightening down the range too much because I don’t want to turn it into something I have to write about versus something I feel completely inspired and almost compelled to write about. Did you have to grapple with that?
I am learning how not to drown in my stream of consciousness!!! I am working on writing less drivel and more solid posts for my blogs, to maintain a persistent and identifiable point of view.
“Less drivel and more solid posts”
I’ve printed that out an put it above my desk :-)
I am honored. ;D
My most recent writing is ‘Takuin and the Little Bird’ http://www.takuin.com/takuin-and-the-little-bird/ . (This is actually not my most recent blog post, but the most recent is a podcast so I thought it would not really be relevant here.) My site is on the topics of spirituality and enlightenment.
I usually do not know what I am working on until I sit down to work on it. I find the more immediate a piece is, the better (at least for the subject matter of my website). I have a new post scheduled for today, but I still do not know what it will be yet. ;)
Thank you all for taking the time to read my writing. I’ll be sure to read the work of those posting here…
TM
That’s beautiful, Takuin!
I loved the way you accompanied the story with beautiful images. Magical!
Great idea Mary. Right now my biggest focus is on writing shorter, more concise articles while keeping them incredibly useful and actionable so that I can post more often each week and do the same for other similar sites in the personal development space to provide more value for my readers. My most recent article is The Beginner’s Guide to Being Congruent (http://www.readingforyoursuccess.com/the-beginners-guide-to-being-congruent). As you can see, I am still working on trimming things down ;). Although this is a pretty deep and important post so I guess I would not expect this one to be quite as short.
Any tips on staying short, concise and actionable are more than welcome.
Thanks all!
Scott
Hey Scott, how about writing a guest post for Write to Done? You’re a member of the A-List Blogger Club, so join the fun in the forum thread, “Anatomy of a Guest Post”. I mentor people publicly in that thread and take them from pitch to perfect guest post. It’s fun!
I am nervously joining this conversation since I feel that I only started to learn to write 2 months ago when I first decided to start my maths blog! Nevertheless, my pride must be swallowed in the pursuit of constructive critisism. I’ve included a link to a post I’ve just published in which I use the voice of a preschooler in order show parents an innovative way of teaching their child numbers.
http://www.mathsinsider.com/the-preschool-maths-teacher/
Your feedback is welcome!
Hi Mary,
Have been following Zen habits and starting today, following Mary Jaksch. Made 1st blog post a couple days ago (http://www.humbleobserver.net/get-up/). Would love some criticism. Thank you for your time.
Chris
Good morning:
I’m currently working on restaurant news for a newsletter, and on an article about an energy company. Also, I’m on the threshold of two ghostwriting opportunities.
Here are links to both a recent blog and article:
http://sgswrite.com/blog/?p=190
http://amaristorante.com/pdf/hitzels.pdf
Thank you,
Steve
Hi people,
I’m writing an inspirational novel after doing research for several years. Here’s the opening:
“Jack felt thin. Not slender but diluted, unfocused. He wasn’t used to feeling thin.
The feeling had crept up on him in the months after he walked away from work. He would wander around the streets feeling as if there was some ghostly wall separating him from the bustle around him. Colours were muted and sounds muffled. He wondered if he was suffering from depression but he wasn’t unhappy. He had no money worries. He and his wife had raised a family and were now looking forward to having some time to themselves. It was just that everyone else seemed to have things to do and places to go and he felt excluded from that.
Some days looked after themselves, just the mechanics of living. On other days he distracted himself with books or surfing the internet. What worried him though was that anything ‘special’ – like a day trip to a stately home or a visit with relatives seemed like too much trouble. Without the rhythm and discipline of work, it was hard to care if the day was a weekday or the weekend. There was nothing wrong with his life, but he had lost his enthusiasm for living it.”
My question is – do you feel concern for Jack?
I like your writing. I do feel a little concerned for Jack, and if there had been more to read I would have read it. The pace and flow were good and I love this kind of introspection. Seeing the world from another person’s eyes and most intimate thoughts. Keep at it!
My current writing focus is creating articles which are really useful and solve problems for my gardening blog readers.
My most popular one so far is How to Stop Rabbits Eating Plants:
http://lovingnaturesgarden.com/2010/05/rabbit-repellent/
I’ve been alternating one inspirational or fun post per week with one of the How To type articles. The How To articles are rather exhausting to write, but after 3 weeks it’s getting a little easier. I’m also trying to relate the How To articles to the fun ones and letting my readers know what is coming up. I think they like knowing ahead of time what is coming later in the week.
I’m working on keeping posts short while still feeling like I’m getting a message across. My best post, “Measuring Your Enemies,” triumphs over what I consider to be the least exciting “What You Say Matters.” The latter is the most recent.
Best: http://brendynrucker.com/measuring-your-enemies/
Least Exciting: http://brendynrucker.com/what-you-say-matters/
I love Takuin’s approach. “The more immediate a piece, the better” seems to work well for me too. Sometimes I’m just not feeling it though.
I love writing posts for my blog, A Flourishing Life, because I am moved to write about topics close to my heart – how to navigate life with the intention to be free, happy, fulfilled, and at peace.
I publish one post a week, which seems to be the perfect number for my readers and me. I recently offered a series on the freedom that comes from letting go of attachments. The first post is: Attachment and the Art of Letting Go.
I like writing in a series because I can go more deeply into a given topic. I am also considering a book – scary to say, but there, I’ve done it!
Gail,
Good for you on considering a book! I enjoyed your article on attachment. You touched on a couple key points and things I too deem important, expectations and missing out on what’s happening in this moment.
I think expectations are relevant to attachment because we’re putting our happiness in the hands of something or someone outside ourselves. I’m deeply involved in helping others in addiction recovery and am constantly dealing with detachment – yet we must detach with love. It’s like a mother giving the gift of birth but with it comes the tremendous difficulty of allowing their child to live their life. Similar to God as our parent and free will.
Thanks for sharing that article with us.
Hi, I started a blog only recently – it’s called Fly in the face – and I’m working on:
*Pressing publish without cringing so hard I knock my coffee cup over (yes, I’m being sarcastic yet at the same time truthful, it’s a bit scary the whole doing your thing thing…)
* remembering that commas aren’t actually supposed to come after every fifth word and then realizing I stuck them in the wrong places anyway
*Not quitting or giving up right away because I feel like a tadpole in a vast sea of fish
*Being ME 100%, being HONEST and staying true to what I believe
*Finding my writer’s voice among the din of all of the above
: ) Please come see me, I’d love to have you!
Interesting little synchronicity there Elena. I went and checked out your site and the first thing I was drawn to look at was Saving Some Sea. I had no idea what you were going to talk about but it said it was your challenge and I like challenges….the best part though is that I do the same thing with the bringing a bag to the beach to clean up all the odds and ends I can. It looks like you are going to help shine some light in the world with your blog. Thanks for sharing.
My blog content is always a work in action where I post weekly and I’m always making it a point to spread my most intimate insides all over the pages. Actionable, intimate and encouraging work is always my focus. My most recent Post is a 2600 word blueprint that’s full of my personality. “The (My) Guide to Asking For Whatever You Want”
My point:
I’m currently working on an Ebook “From Fear to Freedom” which is not just an ebook on understanding as well as stepping beyond our fears and into our personal freedom, but will provide actionable steps via PDF’s and video at the end of most chapters.
I noticed after reading my first draft that I wasn’t writing in my “blogging voice.” I’m going to go back to insert more of myself in the writing, like I do when I blog. I can tell I’m almost talking “at” my reader rather than with them.
I believe I may have gotten caught up thinking my work is going to be judged even more so because it’s my first “formal info product” (Which I’m giving away ironically)
Hey Tony,
We have something in common, “actionable steps.” Something my eBook on happiness is going to focus on.
I hear what you’re saying about talking “at” them. That’s great that you realized that. I try to share from my experience and what worked for me and not suggest or tell my readers/or anyone else what to do. The reason is… simply, attraction rather than promotion. The biggest transformations in my life came when I realized someone else had something I wanted (fearlessness, peace, happiness, etc.) and asked them for help or emulated them. I never had any real transformation when someone was talking at me. It’s always better when it’s my idea ;-)
Hi Jared!
Thanks brother. I tend to totally agree.
I just downloaded your PDF and I love the Frank Zappa Quote lol. (Big Zappa fan back in the day)
I’ve got your email from your PDF, I’ll email you and see how we can possibly support one another in sharing our work. I dig what you’re doing!
Thanks for the feedback too!
I use my blog as a daily journal, and I always strive for a well-written, humorous, account of my day
Wow, what a great idea and forum for helping each other.
I’m working on an eBook – (working title) “Taking out the Trash: 9 Actionable Steps to Inner-Peace and Happiness” as a follow up to a free report. (you can download my report, How To Be Happy Now here(.pdf link). The eBook I’m working on is fun to write but taking a ton of time. I’ve been blogging at SpiritualZen.net for a few years and the ebook is a culmination of what I’ve learned about inner-peace and happiness about myself and studying and learning from others. But more so, actions that lead to self-love and that happiness is a by-product of right living. It’s for a site, howtofindhappiness.net which I’m trying to build an opt-in list through offering the before mentioned report. I continue to try and post a good article once a week at SpiritualZen.net but don’t want to just crank out something because I feel obligated.
I struggle sometimes in thinking… “yeah, just what the world needs is another guy building an opt-in list and creating a self-help eBook.” But then I listen to myself write and what I’m saying, it’s from the heart, passionate and true. And my motives are truly to help others. Plus all the great feedback I get from my readers and friends. I simply want to be of service and create something that makes the world a better place. And if someday I’m able to quit my day job and do something like this full-time… God, that would be great. But I’m also a realist and know that I can be of service regardless of what my professional title is. So in the meantime I just keep plugging away and making myself available.
I’ve struggled with the same thing my friend.
Brendan Brucharde said it best when he said that everyone should write a “Self Help” book. Why? Because it’s your diary of what’s worked for you and you never know who you’re going to impact with it.
I just posted this quote on my Facebook wall yesterday.
“Watering the seeds of self defeating thought with rationalization is how mediocrity blossoms but allowing your branches to live in the light of the truth is how the fruit of your love will bare.”
You my friend faced your truth. You’re realist see’s the glass as half full, rather than “really” seeing it half empty.
Great work so far and I look forward to supporting you!
Tony,
Thanks for the insight from Brendan Brucharde… good stuff.
Look forward to supporting you as well.
I just started my first English blog to reach non-Finnish speakers. Right now I’m planning what kind of topics I should cover and what kind of style to use. Because English is just my second language it gives an extra effort. I am also planning my first novel, which have been in process for a long time. I don’t have any deadline for it but maybe I should? That could really get my writing it and not just to think about it.
p.s. After a long time I was happy to find Write to Done again and I’m currently browsing all the posts that I had missed. Great work!
i would like to write about the current events of our globe and its struggles . there is apoem in my head called weapon and stone , it simply talks about the conflict between palestinians and israeli without being biased to any one of them. once it is completed in my head ,i will write it to you. your opinion will be of great importance to me…
I’m currently reviewing my first YA Fiction Novel. It’s the first part in a series called “The Light Series” it’s written from my main character’s point of view as she tells the story of how an old looking book changed her life.
I’m also dealing with some “rules” because I was told that I am not allowed to talk to the reader directly and my MS has a lot of I’m gonna call it “communication with the reader” moments.