Embrace the mess
Good morning. Writing is messy.
There are some days where I wake up and am in the mood to write. I pour myself a cup of coffee, stare contemplatively at the sunrise, and sit down at my desk, words flowing from my fingertips with ease.
Many of us (myself included) like to envision sitting down in front of a computer and writing something eloquent on the first try. Instead, we typically stare at our computer screens for a long time, because writing is not a process that can be done perfectly on the first try.
When we let go of perfection, we are better able to embrace the mess. First drafts are very rarely the draft that makes it into the book and it will take a lot of writing, re-writing, and angsty Taylor Swift songs before you reach the final product.
Next time you feel yourself staring at a blank screen, try the following:
Close the laptop. Step away from all of the distractions that computers contain (email, social media, hilarious gifs of cats) and try planning on paper. Spend time outlining ideas both big and small.
Word vomit. Take one of those ideas and write everything that comes to mind. No erasing. No crossing things out. No wrong answers.
Take a break. Once you have all ideas down, step away and take a break. When you return, you will be able to view your work with a fresh perspective and better streamline content that already exists.
My best advice is this: trust that writing is a process. Your project will not be concluded in one sitting and that's okay. Write, write, and write some more.
Never stop writing or sharing your stories, folks.
-- Taylor
Upcoming Releases:
Application of Power by MJ Wilson
Soul is Waterproof by Matt Moseley
The After Drop by Sarah Thomas
The Art of Swimming and the Game of Racing: Reflections of a USA Swimming Club Coach by Dudley Duncan
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From the publisher's corner, where we take a peek behind the scenes at CG Sports Publishing. This time, we dig into the editing process...
Editing is a crucial part of any writing process. At CG Sports Publishing, we prefer to think of editing as a relationship, not a transaction. The author and the editor work together to ensure that the book is the best that we can produce.
Recently, I was working with an author and we kept revisiting one chapter. We both agreed on the chapter's significance, but the flow of the chapters just was not working. Instead of groaning over every sentence, I asked if the author would be willing to re-write the chapter as a fresh start.
The result was a chapter on the same topic, but more focused and streamlined. The author was able to step away from the book as a whole and focus on proper structure for that particular chapter. Both of us were excited for the new chapter and the way it supported the entire book.
None of this would have been possible without the author trusting myself (and the CG Sports Publishing team) with their work.
Have writing questions? Drop us an email to set up a quick call or read more on our blog!
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