Tag Archives: good writing comes from rewriting

Embrace Uncertainty and Reject Writing Resistance


If you ever put off writing because you didn’t know how to start, you know how intimidating the unknown is. We think we’re supposed to know what we’re going to write before we write it. It’s not the uncertainty that stops us; it’s our fear of uncertainty. There’s this myth that knowledge is power. That […]

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Drafting + Editing = Writer’s Block


“Write one page without looking back.” That was the challenge I offered a new coaching client. Gloria’s writing was crippled by perfectionism. She edited too soon. She couldn’t get past the first paragraph without having to go back and start over again. And again. And again. Gloria accepted that challenge. She wrote without looking back, […]

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When Bad Is Better


Question: When is bad writing better than good writing? Answer: When wanting to write something good means you don’t write at all. When you’re polishing a piece of writing into the final manuscript, you want to select each word with deliberate precision. This is the time to fine tune the rhythm and tone of each […]

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Want To Break Writer’s Block? Timing Is Everything


Are you editing too soon? Do you eliminate ideas before you even get them on the page? Do you think of a sentence, decide that’s stupid, try to think of another, which you think is just as stupid? Do you give up just when the editing should really start? Editing and Drafting Don’t Mix Many […]

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Real Revision


Don’t resist rewriting; good writing comes from rewriting. You have to see what’s really there before you can change what’s there.

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Do the Im-Paso-ble!


Creative constraints can be a source of resistance; it’s only natural to feel oppositional when you’re being restricted. But creative constraints can also be a source of amazing creative breakthroughs. It all depends on your attitude. This week’s episode of Dancing with the Stars demonstrated the power of two truly creative people working with what […]

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