8/12/2019 #3 Meeting Notes
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-- Who has finished? Who has something to share?
-- Writing Partners
-- Strategies for finishing a manuscript
I dont have time to write.
o You do. You have already committed 1 hour every two wees to writing
!y attending these meetings. "ow it is time to set a small# reasona!le goal
to wor toward.
I cant find the time to get to my computer.
o $ost of your wor can !e accomplished with a note!oo. % valid concern
is that you will forget your note!oo# in which case# eep them inconspicuous places. You can have one at home# one in the car# and one at
wor. Write free form notes to !e compiled later.
&here are too many distractions.
o % focused writer can wor anywhere. $ost of us are not focused writers.&here are three ma'or distractions( "oise# )!ligations# and *lutter.
People taling# television# am!ient noises# yourself drumming on
the ta!le
+ew people reali,e that writing is wor. %t home# there is always
someone willing to interrupt !y asing you to do something or
wanting to now how your writing is going. )utside of the home#
particularly in edford# it is all too easy to see someone you nowand involve yourself in a conversation when you should !e writing.
You stop writing to drin from a coffee cup# turn the dial on the
radio# find an article that you were referencing# turn the lamp on --and then reali,ing that it is too !right# turn it off again. $any of
these distractions are an ecuse to avoid the tas at hand. *lutter
can !e physical or digital.
Physical clutter is managed !y maintaining a clean woring
space. %t home# you have a writing des devoid of the
unnecessary. Your field of vision includes that which
stimulates without stealing your attention. % calendar# foreample# may provoe you to worry a!out an appointment
eight days from now.
*hecing your email# sorting through masses of files to
find the document that you need# and pop-up windowsannouncing a file update are all eamples of digital clutter.
o y writing outside of the home at a coffee shop# you can avoid the
o!ligations of home life and the clutter of your everyday life# !ut you
epose yourself to the noise of people taling and the potential distractionof conversation. /ocations lie the li!rary can further limit these
distractions.
8/12/2019 #3 Meeting Notes
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o When writing at home# inform your family that you are woring and can
not !e interrupted. $aintain your writing space and wor to evolve it in
!etween writing sessions. +or eample# dont stop woring to assem!le a
new lamp for your des# reposition errant office supplies# or go to theitchen for another cup of coffee. If you drin three cups of coffee then
have a pot within reach.
-- $ae a story for a name# an o!'ect# etc.
0S&I*2 $*3I"")"
o What does he loo lie?
o What is he doing right now?
o Who is he?
% red leather moto 'acet with a fau shearling lining# dusted with sand and salt.
o What other ad'ectives descri!e this 'acet?
o Where is it?
o 4ow did it get there?
o Who owns it?
W%"5% 6%Y/2
o What noise are her shoes maing as she wals?
o It is raining. 4ow does this affect her?
o Who is she?
% derelict heap of a *hevrolet *orvair sits cur!side# its copper tone !ody rusted
through in several places. &he most intact part of the car are the crop of faded andpeeling !umper sticers that advertise 7$c8overn9Shriver :;# go 6iings9go
"avy# &he +uture is *omposites# /et the s#
the sticers already listed are from the :s# and they etend to modern
day. 2ven when guessing or inventing# emotions are constant and pop
culture is persistent. $uch of what youd see on a !umper sticer thenspeas to us today# whether it is +rodo /ives# :up# Pa!st lue
8/12/2019 #3 Meeting Notes
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Individual pu!lishers will have their own uni@ue guidelines.
-- *over letter
-- %uthor iography