Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

One step at a time
Amplify for maximum effect
Strengthen

Alright, here we go.

This is where you turn your words into gold.

But before we get started, I want to make something perfectly clear. Everybody hates this part. It’s where writers get stuck. They go over their work, again and again, and lose all sight of the forest. The trees keep jumping out and sucker-punching them.

You can spend an ungodly amount of time thrashing your arms about in this section. And if you aren’t careful, you will.

The trick is to take it one step at a time. And keep moving.

Listen, writing is subjective. Keep reminding yourself. I’ll repeat, in case there’s any confusion: Writing is subjective! There is no “good” or “bad.” There is no “right” or “wrong.”

There’s only clear or unclear — effective or ineffective.

And even that comes in varying degrees.

If you don’t take this to heart — truly take it on board — you will swim in this chapter for the rest of your natural born life.

And it’s not even my favorite chapter.

So I don’t want that to happen.

This chapter is not about “101 ways to Strengthen your writing.” Each format (novel, screenplay, term paper, business plan, whatever) is different. They each have their own requirements.

No. Instead, this chapter is about the approach to your rewrite. It’s about the system that will push you through it.

It’s about “amplifying” your work, in general. And you’ll only get through it one way. By taking it one step at a time.

One step at a time

To “amplify” your writing is to make your ideas clearer. Stronger. More effective.

And the process is unbelievably simple (even though I know you want to complicate it).

All you have to do is fix what you’ve got.

That’s all. That’s it!

Yes, I know it’s “easier said than done.” But don’t lose sight of it. Simple is always better. Don’t over-complicate it, or you’ll get stuck. In fact, over-complicating it is why you get stuck!

Look, you’re not striving for perfection yet. We’ll do that in the Tweak phase. For now, you’re just amplifying. Turning it up a notch, and making it work. Getting it ready to be Tweaked.

And you’ve already done two-thirds of the work.

You inspected your writing. Graded it. And you’ve got a Problem List, and a Strengthen Plan.

Now, you simply blast through each element (chapter, chunk, section, whatever), and get it to the next grade.

Turn a Re-Focus chunk into a Research chunk.

Turn a Research into an Edit.

Turn an Edit into a Tweak.

If you accidentally turn a Re-Focus into a Tweak, fantastic! But don’t expect it. Don’t even strive for that. Just go from one grade to the next. Easy does it. You’ll actually go faster that way.

Re-writing is only difficult when you look at it the wrong way. You probably think you need to “create” all over again. From scratch.

But you don’t. All you’re doing in this stage is fixing what’s there. Making it better. Amplifying it.

Re-writing is as simple or as difficult as you make it. Blast through it as quickly as you blasted through the Apply phase.

And I mean FAST! Okay?