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I need to learn how to write (more business writing oriented)

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burythehatchet Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-17-05 10:47 AM
Original message
I need to learn how to write (more business writing oriented)
My career path is taking a turn away from hands-on consulting and towards developing on-line e-learning content, aggregating news stories on my subject matter (Health care risk management), and writing a book about the subject. A trusted business professor told me to write a book as a first priority. Meanwhile I find myself wanting to write 1500 to 3000 word monographs based on my research and reading.

The problem I seem to be facing is that I have an erratic approach to writing. Some days I can knock out a 10 page paper and have it up on my web site in a day, and then a great start can sit and get stale over a period of weeks.

If anyone has ideas to help overcome this challenge, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks in advance.

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Red_Viking Donating Member (903 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-17-05 11:01 AM
Response to Original message
1. Treat the writing like a job
Do it every day, even if you fill a page with "blah blah blah blah." My father is a writer, and he says it's grueling and awful some days but he makes himself sit down and write anyway. Make it part of your daily routine.

As for writer's block, ugh, I don't know! The most daunting sight is a blinking cursor on a blank page. :P Just start writing gibberish and sometimes that helps the words flow.

Good luck!

RV
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Emboldened Chimp Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-17-05 07:21 PM
Response to Original message
2. Read "On Writing Well," by William Zinsser
Go to the book store or library right away and read this book.
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thinkingwoman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-18-05 07:57 PM
Response to Original message
3. good advice
has already been giving here. Defeat the blinking cursor with anything you can find and read advice from others to fill up blinking cursor time.

Beyond that, I am a writer, journalist-in-recovery, editor, and publisher. I have plenty of experience helping others write what they want to say. But I want to begin consulting. Maybe would could help each other out some?

Feel free to message me if you are interested.

thinkingwoman
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burythehatchet Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-25-05 06:36 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. Cool, thanks.
I just found a magnificent motivator, The number of hits my website gets after I post fresh content. :)
Its getting to be quite a rush!
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CO Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-25-05 06:40 PM
Response to Original message
5. I've Been a Tech Writer Since 1983
It was hard at first, getting the hang of it. And even worse, that was in the days before PCs, when we had to write everything by hand with #3 pencils. But once I got the hang of it, writing became second nature.
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