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Writing on the Run Tip of the Week, 5-20-06, "Seven Minutes of Focused W
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Allen Anderson
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Sep 05, 2006 00:34 PDT
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Writing on the Run Tip of the Week
May 20, 2006
Visit us at www.writingontherun.com
A "101 Best Websites for Writers"
Choice by Writer's Digest, May 2005
Dear Writing Friends,
Welcome to the Writing on the Run Tip of the Week.
As we wrap up our work on Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster we're
discovering decisions we made that in our haste to meet the deadlines,
wound up requiring extra work for others. Is turning a project in on
time more important than making the process simpler for those who will
have to do their jobs after you? We think not, and were reminded of
that lesson this week.
Writing on the Run doesn't mean taking less care with your work. It
means moving along at a steady pace with a focus and determination to
overcome obstacles -- time and space limitations -- that keep you from
writing.
Remember, life is your page.
Today's Tip of the Week is an exercise from our writing classes. In a
busy life, this one technique will help you achieve your writing goals,
7-minutes at a time.
We hope these tips bring you closer to achieving your writing goals and
inspire you to share your own great ideas for how to enjoy writing, even
when life gets busy.
We invite you to e-mail this week's tip in its entirety to, other
writers who might benefit from it.
Sincerely,
Allen and Linda Anderson
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TIP OF THE WEEK
DO SEVEN MINUTES OF FOCUSED WRITING
By Allen and Linda Anderson
How can anyone write anything meaningful in seven minutes? When we use
the following exercise with the writing classes that we teach, it always
surprises people how much they can write in such a brief, focused spurt.
To select your seven-minute focused-writing topic, ask yourself the
questions below.
--Is there a small piece or subject within a larger project that needs
fleshing out?
--Is there a character you want to know more about?
--Could you select one segment of an outline?
--Is there a central image, metaphor, or analogy that you could explore?
Write the topic you have chosen at the top of a sheet of paper. Then
also write at the top of the paper four strong nouns (person, place,
thing) that go with this topic. Try to make at least one of your nouns
contrast with the others in tone or focus.
For example, if your topic is SUMMER, four strong nouns might be BEACH,
VACATION, DISASTER, and SEAGULLS.
Use a timer that doesn't distract you. Set the timer for seven minutes.
Use the four words you have chosen to start or keep writing throughout
the seven minutes.
A very important aspect of this exercise is -- don't lift you pen off
the paper. Write until the timer rings even if you are only writing
gibberish. Just keep going until new thoughts come.
Now look at what you have written. Are you surprised by how much and
how well you wrote in only seven minutes?
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
How often during your day do you have a 7-minute break when you could be
writing? Once, twice, three times a day could move you forward to
achieving your writing goals.
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WRITING QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
"There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and
open a vein."
--Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith
"So often is the virgin sheet of paper more real than what one has to
say, and so often one regrets having marred it."
--Harold Acton, Memoirs of an Aesthete, 1948
"A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it
from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket."
--Charles Peguy
"What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he
whispers."
--Logan Pearsall Smith, "All Trivia," Afterthoughts, 1931
* * * * *
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
BOOKS by Allen and Linda Anderson:
Go to Amazon.com or bn.com for descriptions of these books and
recommendations from those who have read them.
ANGEL DOGS: Divine Messengers of Love, by Allen and
Linda Anderson, published by New World Library, with a
foreword by Willard Scott.
RAINBOWS & BRIDGES: An Animal Companion
Memorial Kit by Allen and Linda Anderson, published
by New World Library.
ANGEL CATS: Divine Messengers of Comfort
GOD'S MESSENGERS: What Animals Teach Us about the Divine
ANGEL ANIMALS: Exploring Our Spiritual Connection with Animals.
All of Allen and Linda's books are available at online or regular
bookstores, some Costco stores, and at many gift shops that sell animal
books. ANGEL CATS and ANGEL DOGS are also available through One Spirit
Book Club.
* * * * *
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR 100-WORD WRITING ON THE RUN IDEA
FOR THE TIP OF THE WEEK:
Mail to: writingo-@aol.com with your best 100-word idea for making
time and space to write. Include a 25-word bio. If we publish your
idea in the newsletter, you will receive a byline and the bio in which
you can mention your own writing projects. For those of you who are
starting to write, this is a good way to get a quick publication credit.
For seasoned writers, it's a generous way to share your knowledge with
struggling starters.
* * * * *
OTHER INFORMATION
Writing on the Run is devoted to collecting and disseminating ideas and
inspiration to help people keep writing, as a vital part of their lives.
You can learn more about Writing on the Run by visiting
www.writingontherun.com.
If you send this newsletter to others (and we hope that you will),
please don't change it in any way and include the information above
about Writing on the Run (TM) Website. We'd appreciate it if you would
encourage others to subscribe. The more ideas, the better for all of us.
Thank you.
This newsletter is sent to you by Writing on the Run (TM) Copyright
2006, Allen and Linda Anderson. All rights reserved. Nothing in this
newsletter may be reproduced or published without the written permission
of the individual authors and/or copyright owners. Writing on the Run
(TM) is a trademarked name
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