I thought these tips from Kevin J Anderson on increasing productivity might be a good get-going kick into the new year.

A video of him introducing the tips and exploring the first one - 'Shut up and write!' is at this page, third video down:

http://www.phoenixpick.com/cruise13/cruise.htm

More on the other tips can be found on his blog and at:

http://authorsadvisory.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/kevin-j-andersons-11-tips-for-writing.html

Fab Terry, thanks for this. I especially liked the tip about knowing the difference between writing and editing.
I think too often I find myself editing as I go along and it totally screws the creative flow (or is like shifting the gears as kevin puts it) This time around I'm just going to try and write the damn thing first.

Guess I should shut up now....and write!

I've just written a blog post for Penumbra magazine, talking about the importance of avoiding polarisations. So, while I think an awful lot of what he says is good and useful, I'm not sure it's the whole story. Commercial writers tend to write a lot and personally I've probably learnt more from them than from artsy/literary/whatever writers. However, I think they have blind spots, too. For example, he says in there somewhere that Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in 9 days. Well, he may have written the final version in that time, but Bradbury took a whole lot longer than that planning it, trying different versions, thinking about it, etc.

Most writers cand definitely write more and faster than they tend to believe. And I do agree it's important to avoid concepts like waiting for the muse or not feeling inspired, etc. But at the same time, a lot of stuff that was written fast and published with little thought reads like it.

Yes, it's important to separate editing from writing. I'd perhaps go one further and say it's also important to learn to edit as if you're writing, which means editing within the flow and the theme, vision and drive.

I got distracted by the pop-up advertising a writers' retreat on board a luxury cruise liner in the Bahamas!


Now, what were the tips again.....?

I can't help feeling that's more to get big name tutors involved! From a writer's perspective, it's better to do a course in a shed in Birmingham.

Very good, Terry, thanks for these!

<Added>

I'd never get anything done on the cruise, though. I need a bunker.

Terry, I think you make a very good point about those of us who write fast drafts, actually spending a lot of time musing and plannning.

Often I write in my head. Actually, I constantly write in my head, so when it comes to getting it down it might be the thrid or fourth 'draft' IYSWIM.

HB x

Often I write in my head. Actually, I constantly write in my head, so when it comes to getting it down it might be the thrid or fourth 'draft' IYSWIM.

I'm the same. Everything that goes through my mind is part of my writing, one way or another. Because of that, I finally decided, a few months back, on the direction to take with my blog. Which is, that it's all about writing but through conversations with people in my street or wherever I happen to be, or sometimes just with myself. I feel that as soon as a writer goes into 'advice' mode, they're in danger of switching from organic-in-the-process-all-the-time to voice on a stick, basically.

What you say also, I think, explains why the work of those who produce gallons of stuff without much pre-thought often reads competent at best, dull and predictable a lot of the time.

Well-balanced view, I think, on writing more from Ken Liu (who's written some wonderfully inventive fiction) in Penumbra:

http://penumbraezine.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/write-more.html

This is also an unsubtle plug for the story I have with Penumbra this month: "Guy". The challenge was to write in the mode of Ray Bradbury, one of my big heroes.

THis is also an interesting take on the question:

http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/how-i-went-from-writing-2000-words-day.html

I see she's even written a book about it now. Good for her.

Emma