Writing with Power

First impression: this is written in the "old style", very much unlike the practical guide/catchy/breezy "edutainment" style that has been so fashionable for the past decade. This book inspired me to put up another blog: freewritingfree.blogspot.com, which is a personal log to capture ideas, thoughts and other brain mush in a free-flowing way, with absolutely zero concern about editing, rearranging etc. No need for grammar, no need for coherence or even complete sentences. The whole idea is to produce raw writing that can become ingredients for picking and choosing, and then reproduction into written pieces, if the need arises in future. Here are some more interesting anecdotes and ideas culled from the book:

Stewing/Simmering process: Put in mind the general idea and all nuggets related to it, distract/relax yourself (he suggested having a beer or a nap) and sometimes things work themselves out. "The point is deeper thinking can go on when you relinquish your conscious grip on your material."

Some ways to work through your thinking (which definitely leads to better writing): he suggested about 13 and I picked up those that I thought were more applicable and useful or uncommon.

1. Prejudices: before thinking, reading and researching about the topic, record all your biases on the subject.

2. Dialogue: basically create voices that converse about the topic. This is interesting and requires a nimble and flexible mind but I can see it producing new and never-thought-of perspectives. "Writing a dialogue produces reasoning, but produces it spontaneously out of your feelings and perceptions."

3. Stories: best applied for purpose of writing a job analysis or an evaluation of a person/project. Keep stories short and succint.

4. Scenes: this is like taking photos. Write in a snapshot fashion, recalling significant or memorable incidents, sights, sounds etc and putting them in writing.

5. Portraits: this is about people and helps in evaulating an organisation, for example.

6. Errors/lies: write down things that are almost true or trying to be true, or even downright false. This is to capture odd, crazy things. Helps to uncover some important preoccupations and assumptions related to the topic.