Comments on: ISBW #29 - Multiple Projects

By: Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:10:38 +0000

Argh! I mean sorry I forgot the link entirely, Micah. *blush*

By: Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:09:44 +0000

Thanks, everyone. Caitlin, I appreciate your vote of confidence, but I am clearly in 5 at the most, because I am lately depressed about writing, and am seeing the careers of everyone around me just fly by and I feel like I’m standing still. I still feel like i have a lot to learn and a lot to process.

And sorry if I got the link wrong, Micah.

By: Micah Dubinko

Micah Dubinko — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 04:54:35 +0000

BTW here’s a live web link to Editing Reality, as mentioned in the episode. Thanks, Mur! -m

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 21:15:56 +0000

Great show, as usual.

I think you are being overly modest. From the fact that you have just finished a novel and are writing lots of short stories, I would have placed you at six - awakening.

In response to Christiana, I think the working on something else to free the blockage approach really only works with short projects. If you are writing a novel and get stuck, try writing a short story, don't start another novel!

By: Christiana Ellis

Christiana Ellis — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 19:28:44 +0000

I really enjoyed the topic today, as it’s something I frequently struggle with too. I think I’m going to try both the breaking it into bite-size chunks, and the eat the frog approaches, and hopefully that’ll help me.

One caveat though, when I’ve tried the “work on something else to remove the blockage” approach, I was initially successful, but before long, I have three half-finished novels. Then, when I feel like writing, I have to decide which one to work on, and then I second-guess myself about my choice, and I doubt, and soon the whole thing starts seeming hard again and I don’t end up writing anything!

Just a word of warning! The other ideas sound interesting and I hope they work! ^_^

By: MWS Media

MWS Media — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:58:49 +0000

Hey, Mur, we have the same bookshelf, at least where productivity is concerned! I’ve read “Eat That Frog,” and I’m in the middle of “Getting Things Done” right now.

By: NFHW London

NFHW London — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 18:32:19 +0000

If people are looking for books that might help with writing, I would recommend ‘The Elements of Style’ by William Shrunk Jr, a professor at Cornell in the twenties.

If you want to write succint, tight prose with perfect grammar, then this will help. The book itself is tiny (will fit your back pocket) and will make a difference.

By: Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 00:13:27 +0000

Yeah, Paul, the books only do some good if you actually read them.

By: Paul Campbell

Paul Campbell — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 23:50:47 +0000

I recently bought Getting Things Done. It hasn’t helped a great deal. I suppose I better try actually reading it.

Actually, I’ve been able to use some of the GTD ideas that I’ve gleaned from the 43folders blog.