Book Ending – Maybe My Favorite Writing Tip
January 22, 2008 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
Do you know how to book end?
It’s a simple technique and one I find tremendously helpful, particularly when I’m stuck and would rather do almost anything than write. It works like this:
- You decide on a task… complete a chapter or a blog entry, or…
You decide how much time you’re going to spend on a chapter, etc. - You call a friend, preferably someone who knows about writing and book ending, but it can be anyone who you know is on your side.
- You tell them what you plan – “I’m going to spend the next 2 hours on chapter 6.” or “I’m going to finish my character sketch.”
- You then perform the task or you don’t.
- Either way, you call your friend back to close the book end and own the results you got.
I think the key is telling on yourself even if you don’t complete the task… or knowing you will. Somehow, creating accountability helps me get done the things I need to get done.
Write well and often,
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Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision – for those who want to get a book written.
This would be a great use of Twitter.
hmmm, I think I know what you mean, but could you explain a bit?
It seems you find a good way of fighting writing stuck :) I’d like to inform that I’ve posted your article at writer’s forum as I think this would be beneficial for writers to read. It is here http://www.writersclub.net/help_and_suggestions/how_to_continue_writing-t125.0.html
Well, it would be a quick and easy way to make yourself accountable to a community of people (your followers), instead of just the one person you would call or email. Plus, chances are some of your followers will be online and active themselves, so you’d likely get some immediate acknowledgment and encouragement.
And did I mention the quick and easy? Just a quick tweet, like “I’m going to finish this article proposal by 3 pm.” Send. 3 rolls around and another quick tweet: “I did it!” And just like there would probably be instant accountability acknowledgment, there would also likely be instant congratulations: “Way to go!”
Twitter rocks, and can useful any number of ways personal and professional.
sounds good… I take it you (me) gets started at twitter.com?
Yep, just head on over to twitter.com. Setting up and account is really easy.
thanks
Hi Anne,
I liked your post. Bookending’s one of my favorite tools. So simple; super-effective.
I agree with Matt – Twitter and bookending make a terrific combo. “Bookending: Using Twitter to Beat Procrastination and Boost your Writing” offers step-by-step instructions on how to do it, if you’re just getting started:
http://tinyurl.com/6o2hkz
Happy writing! Marla