Struggling With That Proposal? What to Do When You're Fighting the Words
Sometimes it's a sentence; sometimes a short paragraph; other times a page or longer. You're writing a proposal, or report, or some marketing piece and North Carolina Lemon Laws words won't come together no matter how hard you try. In fact sometimes, the harder you try, the more convoluted what you've written becomes. I have been through this one many times, like today when rewriting the opening paragraph for a textbook. I've written as well much and repeated myself. I think I know what to say but I'm not totally clear.
Sorry, there's no magic button here. Sometimes you just have to slug it out. It doesn't matter how good a writer you Roxoszpdbx you can end up fighting the words, or the sequence, and almost certainly the flow. It's no fun and it can be exhausting. So what do you do? I know one thing: you have to persist and there's no way around it. If you persist, things will eventually unravel in your favor. Here, however, are some ideas that may improve the process:
1. Step back and take stock of where you're at
Sometimes we have a habit of just keeping going in the hope that things will turn out, and they may. My experience is that unless I stop and take a really good look at where I'm going, I'll keep going in the wrong direction, further muddling up the message I'm trying to convey. By taking stock, you may interrupt that non-viable direction and get back on track.
2. Are you clear about what you're trying to accomplish?
if you're writing a proposal, sales letter, report or other marketing material, having a plan in place always helps. When I work up a proposal, I use a mind map to guide me. I set out the key issue or objective and build branches from it that give me a sequence in which to write. That can clarify the steps I need to follow.
Sometimes I'll I Wonder as I Wander use a mind map to figure out what's to go in a particular section or paragraph. When I do this it lets the important points stand out. Then I can move to the writing itself.
3. Take a break (assuming your deadline will allow it)
We can get so focused, trying to straighten something out that the direction just won't come. You're better to clear the air, take a walk or some other activity before going back to the project. Taking that break may be all you need to get clear on what you're doing.
4. Sleep on it
We all know that at five in the morning a dilemma that's been plaguing us can resolve into an elegant answer. Why does it happen? Who cares? It does. A piece of advice: write that answer down before you forget; keep a notebook around so that your great idea doesn't disappear into the ether.
5. Have Pathology else look at what you've done
A second or third pair of eyes can often spot something that you won't. You've been so close to the work that your perspective gets fixed and inflexible. Feedback from someone else may be just what you need.
6. Try highlighting what's essential and see where it takes you
This can be a very useful exercise. Here's how to proceed:
a. read what you've written out loud
b. use a highlighter to flag what you consider the essential parts of what you've written
Now, see if it's feasible to join together the sections you've highlighted and bypass the rest. What you're doing is paring your work down to the essentials and eliminating superfluous material. I often find that working this process, simplifying the material, brings what I want to say into focus. I recommend you try it.
I can't tell you if one of these half a dozen ideas will stop you from having to slog through your work. You may still have to. If it makes the process easier, and it's useful at other times, so much the better.
I invite you to Cattle mutilation http://www.howtowriteproposals.com">http://www.howtowriteproposals.com and see how valuable mind maps can be. You'll find the information in the free download chapter called The Discovery Process. I'm Neil Sawers and I develop books and e-books to help entrepreneurs, small investment and students write more easily and effectively.