Edward Weiss writes:

Another benefit of not becoming emotionally involved with your articles is that it’s actually easier to write!

You can write faster, edit less, and have a much stronger article if you just write first without self-editing.

Plus, your natural voice comes through stronger. Something most author’s want anyway.

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Christina Sponias writes:

Hi Chris and Edward!

This attachment could perhaps be defined as the desire an author has to produce masterpieces.
It’s positive until certain point but he/she has to understand that his articles have a commercial functionalism and production counts more than perfection in this case, even though the articles’ quality shall always be respected.

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Dan Snyder writes:

Chris,

I like your article and your attempt to help writers and marketers improve their abilities. You really hit the target on this one.

However, one question comes to mind as I read in between the lines of your article / blog post.

What are the ways that you encourage the 20 percent who write 80 percent of the articles? How do you encourage or promote prolific writing or regular periodic submissions?

I don’t mean to sound so harshly direct. I really don’t know how you are encouraging the other 20 percent and thought that more room for improvement could come from them.

Yes, you should encourage new writers to improve their abilities, but also fanning the flames of your hottest coals (the top 20 percent) may get you more fire.

Dan

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Jan Verhoeff writes:

Great article Chris,

Did you post that on an article marketing site? :p

I love the emotional abandonment idea, just write it, let it go, post it and see where it takes you!

My work has been rejected and rewritten so many times, I’ve learned that it isn’t about me, it’s about an accomplishment that can always be improved upon.

Jan

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Christopher M. Knight writes:

Jan,

Yes, this was an article that I removed from syndication and moved to the blog.

I’m lining up the articles that I have in syndication are going to be a point A to Z guide to writing & marketing with articles….with this blog being a different kind of way to offer my thoughts to the market and learn from the feedback, etc.

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Lance Winslow writes:

Personally, on the detachment issue, often I detatch, but not always, as on many of my articles I am so attached, that I literally dare anyone to debate any item I have written in any article and challenge them to bring their data, back up their arguments and show me if they think they disagree. Indeed, I write for a purpose, or I wouldn’t write at all, why waste time.

Never the less, detatchment can be nice because it means you do not have to worry if someone spouts off an opinion in ignorance, you just let it go. So, in that regard I see two sides to this one.

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Dina at Wordfeeder.com writes:

I can’t help responding to Dan’s questions, which were:

What are the ways that you encourage the 20 percent who write 80 percent of the articles? How do you encourage or promote prolific writing or regular periodic submissions?

Dan, have you read past this blog post? Maybe you will notice that a good portion of this blog does exactly that.

Read the formulas for productivity… there are tons of them in here. TONS, Dan.

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Jan Verhoeff writes:

Dina,

I think you just implied that about twenty percent of the people who write articles read here and write 80% of the articles… Interesting implication!

I know that 20/80 thingie (yeah, I’m a copywriter) works. But I just hadn’t thought about it meaning readers/writers too.

Whooohoo! Way to go writers! Post more on the blog and write more!

(I get excited over other simple stuff too!)

Jan

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Lance Winslow writes:

Yeeha! What a fun discussion, unfortunately I am now getting really emotionally attached to this blog post – Yippie Skippie and all that. Fun stuff. Detatchment is so difficult when you are having fun.

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Dina writes:

Jan,

No, I didn’t. The 80/20 assertion was part of Dan’s question, not my answer. I can’t respond to that was any certainty because this is not my site and I don’t have stats in front of me.

I’m just saying, this blog is filled with inspirational goodies for prolific writers.

It’s like going to McDonald’s and saying “So do you have cheeseburgers?”

:)

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Dina writes:

PS – Oops, I meant to type, “with” any certainty.

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Nancy Chadwick writes:

Lance,

Concerning your occasional need to challenge someone who may disagree with something you’ve written…

It may be easier for me than others to detach from what I write. I teach/train in addition to writing, brokering, etc., and tend to look at my opinions, whether spoken or written, as catalysts to get people thinking about a particular subject. I welcome that even if they don’t agree with me because it’s exciting to see the synergy take hold and build. For me, exploration is the thing, or as Thoreau put it:

“The frontiers are not east or west, north or south, but wherever a man fronts a fact.”

Nancy Chadwick

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Jan Verhoeff writes:

Gotcha, Dina.

You’re definitely right, that this blog is full of goodies. I love reading here just before I write my articles for the day/week, depending on schedule.

It’s awesome getting inspiration from a blog where so many other writers are also reading and writing.

Jan

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Lance Winslow writes:

Great point Nancy. Indeed, I actually enjoy discussing things with folks who have alternate opinions, than those who have the same opinion. Well, as long as they can think and come up with something new, rather than the same old talking points, I have heard before. Some can, those are the gems. Dialogue is good.

Detachment in this case is too.

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James Chartrand - JCM Enterprises writes:

This is a great blog post, and one I can relate to. Working with multiple writers (and being one myself), I see emotions as a huge barrier to effective writing.

Many of my teammates start off fine, then as they write, become emotionally involved. They want a perfect product. They want to achieve the client’s goals – and surpass them. Then they create bars of standards for themselves, which are always a little out of reach, and they struggle to reach their own personal goals. They send in the material and worry about not only my opinion, but the client’s opinion, and everyone else’s opinion who might read the content.

Now, worrying about the client is good. We aim to please, after all. But creating these personal requirements for absolute perfection and instant wow aren’t realistic and they hamper writers in their very success.

And the writers who get emotionally attached? They’re the ones that spend hours trying to get 500 words just right.

Write freely and without self-consciousness. Do the best job you can. If you need to, when you’re done writing, set it aside and come back to it the next day. Read and edit then and only then. You’ll have fresh eyes and a fresh mind that will catch more errors or problem areas.

And when you’re done? Be done with it. Write once, edit twice, and let it go. It’s an article, not a reflection of you. Don’t worry about what others think, especially if you’ve done the best you can.

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Nancy Chadwick writes:

James,

I really agree with the advice you give in your last paragraph. There are times when it flows (and times when it doesn’t). When it’s flowing, let it flow and don’t stop to edit. When it’s not flowing, don’t micro-edit what you’ve written. Start fresh another day. I find that I wind up discarding words that I’ve produced tortuously (i.e., through repeated editing).

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from an attorney back in the days when I was drafting legal briefs (and agonizing over every word). Joe used to say: “just do the best you can with what you have at the time and then let it go.”

Nancy

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Christina Sponias writes:

If someone cares too much about other people’s opinion when they read his/her article then his intention is not to make a perfect job but to be admired; in another words, to feed his ego.

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James Chartrand - JCM Enterprises writes:

Or because he or she lacks self-esteem and is looking for acceptance. It isn’t all about ego or being admired. Sometimes it’s just about being a person who doesn’t believe in themselves.

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Christina Sponias writes:

This is quite problematic when these people face contradictions!

I believe one shall care about other people’s opinion until certain point; otherwise his/her work won’t follow his own plan.

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James Chartrand - JCM Enterprises writes:

Gah. I meant to say “a person who doesn’t believe in himself.” Or “herself”. Or both. Tired typist :)

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Dr.Sturley writes:

Many articles are just rehashing older articles and re-wording the context with the same meaning.
I think the web should contain more individual attitudes and opinions and predictions.
People should write what they predict to happen. I am writing an article saying that Hillary Clinton will be the next US president. If I am wrong it is time dated for my shame! More people should take risks and predict and opine on the web. Or maybe googlebot doesn’t like controversy affecting it’s profits….A meteor couldn’t slow down it’s profits.
Dr Ann Sturley

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