Stephen Lloyd Webber | author etc
books and consulting
Many people have great ideas. Many of those great ideas could be made into a book.
HOWEVER.
Many people don’t feel comfortable just sitting down and beginning to write that book.
Are you such a person? Maybe?
Admit it, you have a book idea.
You’re smart, you’re capable. You could … Read more
A writing marathon is a style of freewriting that lasts for two hours or more. To do a writing marathon, you simply need to write without stopping, maintaining the minimum pace of one letter per second. You can go faster, but you’re not allowed to … Read more
The word to emphasize there is “uninterrupted.” Interruptions include other people, outside obligations, and… yourself.
If you want to get something done with your writing, it’s necessary to actually do the writing. Sounds really simple, doesn’t it?
Well, that’s why it’s a really good idea … Read more
Earlier today an awesome client of mine mentioned an experience she had doing word sprints with a friend so that she could meet her weekly goal. Basically she and a friend raced against each other to see who could hit their word count goal first.
I’ve never done word sprints, … Read more
Black and white, up and down, yes and no, right or wrong.
Two choices. Binaries.
If you are driving and you come to a T in the road, either you go left or you go right. Unless you want to turn around, but let’s assume you want to go forward. … Read more
Without a doubt, freewriting is the most direct method for productivity as a writer.
When you freewrite you get to head straight to the source and write without stopping.
Generally people see freewriting as a rigid or constrained exercise where you make yourself write without stopping. My suggestion is … … Read more
Due to some strange turn of events that could have only happened in the 1990s, I recall going to a weekend camp with my German language class where for the entire weekend we were to speak only German. It was my first year of taking German … Read more
Open freewriting is completely openended. You just write. The simplicity of methodology doesn’t mean that you are limited to what can emerge. With open freewriting, it is especially true that anything can happen. Open freewriting is a place for you to be wild, chaotic, totally free, totally present. … Read more
In her 1938 book If You Want To Write, Brenda Ueland gives a beautiful description of what it takes to foster the imagination and support a productive writing practice. She describes two things that I have also found to be key components: stillness or “moodling” (for me meditation serves … Read more
I wrote previously about the benefits of keeping a file of topic ideas. Basically like a compost pile, a document where you can throw all sorts of material into and transform rough pieces into polished drafts.
Maybe that document sounds like it would be a headache to make sense … Read more