From The Washington Post:
One of the interesting things about specialization is how we often take for granted the things we do well. I am insanely impressed by the Europeans I encounter who can speak at least five languages and are likely adding a sixth, but they usually just shrug their shoulders and think it’s no big deal. Truck drivers who can back up a 16-wheeler into a loading dock with little margin for error? That looks more complicated than brain surgery, but to them it’s no big whoop.
I’m just a small-town political scientist, so I don’t think of myself as possessing any special skills. But from recent conversations, I’ve learned that there is one thing that seems impressive to other folks but is nothing extraordinary to me: I write nonfiction books. My sixth book will be out in less than two months, and I’m spending a lot of this month pondering how to write my seventh book. People keep publishing them, so I guess my books aren’t awful.
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2) Know your audience. Another thing that you need to put in your book prospectus is your targeted audience. Who do you want to read your book? Why, everyone, of course, and they should each buy 10 copies just to be safe. The better question to ask is: Who do you think needs to read your book? Business leaders? College students? Stay-at-home parents? Retirees? Make sure you have the answer to this question in your head — and then, when you’re crafting the prose, imagine that reader.
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5) When you get on a good writing jag, tune everything else out. There are days of writing a book when you can concentrate all you want and you will only produce a few hundred words. But then there are the days when you are in the zone, when all you are really doing is transcribing the elegant turns of phrase from your brain to the computer. It’s like a baseball pitcher who finally tweaks his throwing mechanics and goes on a streak.
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If you’re writing thousands of words a day, then don’t check your phone, don’t clean up your office, don’t spend inordinate amounts of time on food, and sleep only when you must.
Link to the rest at The Washington Post and thanks to Bill for the tip.
this isnt about writing anonfic
it’s about general writing
i see nothing different than writing fic or poetry or a tech pc
a 16 wheeler? I must be reaqlly old. They used to have 18. called 18 quad with brake pads. Haul a lot less the same distance with less wheels
For us, the best way to keep a writing jag going isn’t to skimp on food, sleep, or anything but writing. While being rested, and healthy aren’t the cause of a writing jag, exhaustion degrades the quality of the writing, as does pain from not moving enough / not giving our eyes a break from the screen.
When my husband’s on a writing jag, he may spend 8 hours in the office writing, but I feed him healthy food, ensure he gets sleep, and take him out to restaurants to combine good food with getting out of the house, and letting his eyes focus on things further away than the computer screen.
I write nonfiction each week on my website. It’s about Montana politics, a very narrow audience. But I know my audience. So I can dispense with explanations, defining terms, and other redundancies. A lot more specialization. And with that specialization comes a very small audience. Not a lot of money there, but if you have the time and passion, it can be fulfilling.