EIGHT KILLER ROUTINES FOR EFFORTLESS WRITING
These techniques all come from personal experience. The system works for any language – and for learning foreign languages and styles.
It's EXTREMELY simple & yields astonishing results within weeks.
These techniques all come from personal experience. The system works for any language – and for learning foreign languages and styles.
It's EXTREMELY simple & yields astonishing results within weeks.
The techniques are ordered by priority & level of sophistication.
For best results, stick to the system. But feel free to skip a technique/level if you think you've already mastered the relevant skill.
For best results, stick to the system. But feel free to skip a technique/level if you think you've already mastered the relevant skill.
KT1
Write at least one page daily outside of work, school or other requirement.
Subject, quality etc. don’t matter – point is that you OWN your writing & get over the fear of the blank page.
Store what you write. You’ll see how much skill you’ve gained in just a month or two.
Write at least one page daily outside of work, school or other requirement.
Subject, quality etc. don’t matter – point is that you OWN your writing & get over the fear of the blank page.
Store what you write. You’ll see how much skill you’ve gained in just a month or two.
KT2
Handwrite – and make an effort to handwrite well. This can be combined with the daily writing routine.
The important thing is to experience the physicality of the written word and your control of the pen through improved handwriting.
Handwrite – and make an effort to handwrite well. This can be combined with the daily writing routine.
The important thing is to experience the physicality of the written word and your control of the pen through improved handwriting.
Chuck away that weakling pencil right now!
Get used to inking off things you don't like & making them better.
Smell the ink & paper – calligraphy is Power.
Get used to inking off things you don't like & making them better.
Smell the ink & paper – calligraphy is Power.
I can still handwrite in at least a dozen different “fonts” even though I almost never use them anymore. And that’s just in English. You can surely learn ONE of your own.
Make it pretty – pleasing to your senses.
Make it pretty – pleasing to your senses.
KT3
Read OLD books.
Better allocate a longer chunk of 3-5 hours, even if only once a week, than split it up into daily increments. Obviously, the frequenter, the better.
This will also make you acutely aware of your addiction to your dumphone.
Read OLD books.
Better allocate a longer chunk of 3-5 hours, even if only once a week, than split it up into daily increments. Obviously, the frequenter, the better.
This will also make you acutely aware of your addiction to your dumphone.
NO, “ebooks” AREN'T books.
Get the real thing, feel the weight and the smell of the pages as you make progress & flip forward.
Get the real thing, feel the weight and the smell of the pages as you make progress & flip forward.
KT4
Build summaries of things you’ve read or written as part of your killer routines. You can combine this with KT1-2 to save time.
Make sure any summary – or bullet list – is extremely condensed: down to a page or even a single paragraph.
Build summaries of things you’ve read or written as part of your killer routines. You can combine this with KT1-2 to save time.
Make sure any summary – or bullet list – is extremely condensed: down to a page or even a single paragraph.
Revisit your summaries within a week to see if you’ve done a good job and revise as necessary.
Did you get the important information in? Is it stylish & clear?
Did you get the important information in? Is it stylish & clear?
KT5
If you own the Chicago Manual of Style, BURN IT NOW.
No single “resource” has contributed as much to the dumbing-down of American language & mentality than the CMS.
If you’re that clueless about style, use 19th-century American and British books on the subject.
If you own the Chicago Manual of Style, BURN IT NOW.
No single “resource” has contributed as much to the dumbing-down of American language & mentality than the CMS.
If you’re that clueless about style, use 19th-century American and British books on the subject.
In any language, never use a single source as guide to orthography, style and grammar.
Combine learning from multiple dictionaries, old books and grammar books.
Make your style yours.
Combine learning from multiple dictionaries, old books and grammar books.
Make your style yours.
KT6
Use multiple dictionaries (online and off) to look up words you don’t know. Develop a habit of checking out synonyms in the thesaurus, and the etymology of every word you look up.
This will literally make you SMARTER & moar confident, not just improve your writing.
Use multiple dictionaries (online and off) to look up words you don’t know. Develop a habit of checking out synonyms in the thesaurus, and the etymology of every word you look up.
This will literally make you SMARTER & moar confident, not just improve your writing.
KT7
Read this post by @ScottAdamsSays You don’t have to agree with it. You don’t have to emulate it. But you have to “get it” and learn to do it. It’s easier than you think. Once you have mastered this simple style, write as you like.
dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_bl…
Read this post by @ScottAdamsSays You don’t have to agree with it. You don’t have to emulate it. But you have to “get it” and learn to do it. It’s easier than you think. Once you have mastered this simple style, write as you like.
dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_bl…
KT8
Get to learning a foreign language.
NO, this is not as daunting as it sounds. It can be as simple as getting a good textbook – or just a simpler book – and copying sentences and exercises by hand daily. There are plenty of resources online, too.
Get to learning a foreign language.
NO, this is not as daunting as it sounds. It can be as simple as getting a good textbook – or just a simpler book – and copying sentences and exercises by hand daily. There are plenty of resources online, too.
Get as much exposure as possible to foreign words and structures – even if you never become fluent.
Over time, “getting” how they work will literally raise your IQ. It will also empower you to play with your native language(s) in new and unexpected ways.
Over time, “getting” how they work will literally raise your IQ. It will also empower you to play with your native language(s) in new and unexpected ways.
