Shortcut Solutions for Writer's Block

Spend 7-20 minutes with one or more of these exercises, without stopping to correct or analyze.

• Jot down your ideas in list form—in the order that they occur to you.
• Freewrite—write with the flow, wherever your thoughts take you.
• Talk your ideas into a recorder.
• Bounce your ideas off a good listener.
• Take a break—do something physical; or sit and just relax, as mindlessly as you can; or read something related to your project—or not.

For further discussion see "What to Do When You're Stuck"

- Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 10-12

- Shortcuts for the Student Writer, pages 60-63

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Shortcuts for Procrastinators

• Keep everything for each project in one designated place; make copies if something applies to two projects.
• Use electronic and paper folders as you work with files and Internet search results—even if you don't organize the material until the deadline approaches.
• Early in the process, give yourself an artificial, earlier deadline by promising to show your report to a colleague or relative before it is due.

For further discussion see

"Sizing up Your Work Style" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 7-9

"Long-Term Projects" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 113-116

"Writing the Research Paper" - Shortcuts for the Student Writer, pages 123-124

"How to Make a Paper Longer (And When to Make it Shorter)" - Shortcuts for the Student Writer, pages 82-83

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Shortcuts For Effective Collaboration

• Recognize that people have different work styles, priorities, and skills.
• Let people volunteer for the aspects of the project they care most about.
• Have regular, frank discussions so everyone can contribute and conflicts can be resolved.
• Write separately, then come together to discuss and revise.
• Designate one person to be in charge of the final manuscript.
• Decide who will speak for the group. Make sure that the group agrees about what to say.

For further discussion see

"Collaborative Projects" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 117-118

"Editing Other People's Drafts" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 121-122

"Writing for Others " - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 123

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Shortcuts For Improving Your Style

• Read your writing aloud—to yourself or to someone else.
• Look at your sentences to see whether the parts should be rearranged, or whether you can combine or separate some sentences.
• Make sure that every sentence in the paragraph supports the same point.
• Take a break—even if just for a few minutes—to allow for a fresh perspective before the final polishing.

For further discussion see

"Steps Towards a Clear Style" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 35-36

"Writing with Energy" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 41-43

"Varying Your Sentences" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 46-50

"Grammar Review: Common Sentence Patterns" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 46-50

"The Anatomy of a Sentence: How to Diagram" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 217-219

"Addressing Your Audience" - Shortcuts for the Student Writer, pages 64-65

"Varying Your Sentences" - Shortcuts for the Student Writer, pages 175-179

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Shortcuts for Evaluating Web Sites

• Don't confuse aesthetics with reliability. High-quality information may be presented on a drab-looking web site; a beautifully designed page may contain errors.
  
• Check that the author and institution are identified.
  
• Check the address: a non-profit (.org) site may be promoting a particular point of view; a commercial site (.com) may slant information to sell a product.
  
• Look for good writing, allowing for the fact that English is the preferred language on the Internet and some writers may not be proficient users of English. Errors at the least show a carelessness about detail.
  
• Use Web sites that check information:

Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria And Tools http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webeval.html

Evaluation of Information Sources- includes links to informative articles http://www.vuw.ac.nz/staff/alastair_smith/evaln/evaln.htm

FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)
http://www.fair.org/

Fact Check (Annenberg School of Journalism at Univ. of Penn) http://www.factcheck.org/

For further discussion see:

"Research on the Internet" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 99-106

"Resources for Evaluating Information" - Rules of Thumb for Business Writers, pages 231-232

"Sizing up a Website " - Shortcuts for the Student Writer, pages 121-122