It’s great having a few tricks up your sleeve to boost your writing speed. (Especially tricks that can “flip your switch” when writing from scratch.)

Can music “flip your switch”?

Music is one of those things we don’t pay much attention to—unless we have to. That is, we don’t pay much attention until we want to hear a specific piece; then it becomes important to us.

I recently wondered if music could improve one's writing. So I tried an experiment.

Try this fun experiment

If you haven’t tried using music to inspire your writing efforts, this could be a fun little experiment to try over the next few weeks (or days).

If you have a CD collection, choose about seven discs. Pick a variety of musical genres, genres that create different feelings or moods when you hear them.

Each time you sit down to write, play a disc. Observe how you feel when writing.

Most likely, you’ll experience one of two things:
1. Momentum
2. Distraction

1) Momentum

Momentum feels like a train leaving the station. The words are flowing, you have a general sense of direction and you feel clear in how you express yourself. It’s easy to write. You’re not fighting with ideas.

2) Distraction

Feeling distracted is easy to spot—you’re stuck. Creating a few sentences feels like it takes forever. For me, distraction means my attention turns outward—daydreaming without continuing to move forward.

When you catch yourself thinking of other tasks you want to do, that’s another sign of being distracted. Try changing the music. Go back to writing. Observe what happens after five or ten minutes. Are you still distracted? Or are the words flowing more easily?

In about a week, you’ll see patterns

Maybe music with vocals is too distracting. But classical guitar feels perfect. Maybe jazz is a bit too much. But ambient is just the right groove.

For example, I enjoy writing to ambient music

Right now, I’m listening to the Ambient Space Music station. The music is at a very low volume and the station is playing music continuously. For some reason, the steady stream of music keeps the words flowing.

 You’ll be able to tell which type of music works best for you after experimenting. Or maybe you discover that music doesn’t help you. Hey, at least you’ll know!

Try Internet radio stations

iTunes Radio (or something similar) has a huge selection of radio stations. Each station specializes in a musical genre: ambient, alternative rock, blues, country, jazz, hard rock, etc. Internet radio stations are free, and many are commercial-free. Search around to see if there's a station or two you like.

Try “flipping the switch”

The next time you’re struggling to write:

• Fire up iTunes.
• Or throw on a CD.
• Or spin one of those scratchy things they call “records.”

And start writing.

You might surprise yourself.

My latest article for Content Marketing Institute, The ABCs of Working with a Graphic Designer (for the First Time), deals with some common questions many people have when working with a designer for the first time.

Judging by the number of interesting comments the article drummed up, it looks like I hit a nerve.

Be sure to check out the article and bookmark it for future reference.

And if you're so inclined, feel free to jump in and add your comments or questions.

It’s going to happen.

You get an idea while driving, walking or shopping.

You fire up the computer.

Then—you can’t write.

So how can you ramp up your ability to write quickly, without a lot of hoopla?

3 (Often Ignored) Ways to Write Quickly

1) Sporadic Writing

For instance, I started writing this post with this tip first. Then I wrote about the third tip, then the second tip. I then worked my way to the summary and, finally, I wrote the introduction.

Action item: There’s no writing rule that says you have to start at the beginning. Start where you feel most inspired.

2) Freewriting

Mark Levy is an expert in the area of freewriting. You can read my interview with Mark on how to solve problems through freewriting.

Mark has written a book exclusively about freewriting: “Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight and Content.”

Action item: Write for 10 minutes straight—as fast as you can—without stopping. See if this reveals new ideas that may be hiding under the cobwebs.

3) Egg Timer Method

When I first used a timer, the ticking noise drove me nuts. But after a few more attempts, the clicking sound now subconsciously drives me to write. In fact, it’s hard not to write with the timer ticking away!

If you want to learn more about using short sprinting cycles to increase your productivity, read the two articles I’ve written about the Pomodoro Technique.

You can even download a timer for your toolbar. It’s $4.99 and fully customizable. (You can also search for free timers.)

Action item: Get a timer and explore using it both with and without sound. Find out what works for you. Adjust the length of your sessions accordingly.

There you go—three simple techniques to boost your writing output.

• What about you?
• Do you use similar techniques to write quickly?
• Did I miss a technique?
• Any questions on these three methods?
• What (often ignored) writing tricks do you use to keep your writing flowing?

P.S. Receive my free e-book, 5 (Ridiculously Simple) Ways to Write Faster, Better, Easier when you subscribe to this blog’s updates. It’s over 20 pages and packed with simple writing techniques to help you boost your writing power.

If you’re looking for some interesting reading, here’s what I’m reading now (or have read recently).

Four of the books are free e-books and definitely worth checking out. These books have inspired me and I’m hoping they’ll inspire you too.

1) 13 Business Blogging Mistakes & Their Easy Fixes (free e-book)

This e-book is from HubSpot and is packed with often-overlooked blogging tips. I love Chapter 8, “Ignoring Low-Hanging Fruit.” This chapter features 10 simple fixes you may not be using on your blog. There’s also a neat chapter on the importance of the call-to-action.

2) The B2B Marketing Handbook (free e-book)

This 90-page e-book, written by copywriting guru Bob Bly, has 19 chapters and covers a variety of topics, including:

• 10 Tips for Increasing Landing Page Optimization
• Should B2B Copywriters Avoid Jargon?
• 7 Rules for Content Marketers
• Are White Papers Dead?
• Business-to-Business Headline Writing Clinic

I printed this out and am keeping it within arm’s reach for future reference.

(Go to the bottom of Bly's homepage for the e-book.)

3) The Copywriting Sourcebook: How to Write Better Copy, Faster–For Everything from Ads to Websites

I have all four books from copywriter Andy Maslen and each book rocks. This one covers 13 areas, from articles and e-mails to sales letters and headlines. You don’t have to read the book from the beginning; just open it up to the area you’re interested in.

4) Manage Your Writing 3.0 (free e-book)

This free e-book is the basis for the expanded version, 36-Hour Course in Business Writing. If you’re looking for a way to manage your writing process, start with this e-book.

If you like this e-book, I highly encourage you to check out Kenneth’s full book version, 36-Hour Course in Business Writing.

Author Kenneth Davis emphasizes, “Managing writing is largely a matter of managing your time.” And speaking of managing time . . .

5) The Pomodoro Technique (free e-book)

Technically, this isn’t a business communication book. But I have to slip it into this list because of its ability to increase your productivity. I use the Pomodoro Technique 90 percent of the time when writing.

In a nutshell:
1. Break your project down into 25-minute chunks.
2. Take a five-minute break.
3. Resume your project.

Just try it a few times and see what happens. The e-book is packed with extra ideas and tips to get the most out of the technique.

I wrote two articles about the Pomodoro Technique and how it can help you conquer the world (25 minutes at a time).

Side note: Chris Brogan has an interesting spin on this technique: The 20 Minute Plan. It’s worth checking out.

P.S. You can receive my free e-book, 5 (Ridiculously Simple) Ways to Write Faster, Better, Easier when you subscribe to this blog’s updates. It’s over 20 pages packed with simple writing techniques to help you boost your writing power.

The conversation prompted me to write down my e-mail process and to share it with you.

I (usually) go through seven points before sending any e-mail.

Take these tips for a spin sometime. I think you'll find them helpful in your future e-mail communications.

The (Almost) Perfect E-Mail: 7 Step Checklist 

1) Did I check the spelling of the recipient’s name?
Sounds kind of obvious, but, hey – it’s important. And while I'm at it, I'll double-check the rest of the spelling and grammar in the e-mail.

2) Is the subject line sharp and precise?
Not only does a precise subject title help draw attention to your email, it helps the recipient find your e-mail quickly– without much hassle. 

3) Did I answer the recipient’s question(s)?
Rambling off topic can happen easily!

4) Did I address any possible objections?
I put myself in the recipient’s shoes to reduce e-mail ping-pong.

5) Is there a next step?
It’s good to keep the ball rolling by including a next step (or two).

6) Include a P.S.
I read somewhere (forgot where!) that the P.S. is the second most often read part of a letter. Here are six awesome e-mail marketing powers of the P.S. from HubSpot. 

7) Don’t send the e-mail immediately. Save it in the “Drafts” folder!
This is my favorite technique. Wait a few minutes (or hours) before sending your e-mail. The elapsed time gives you the distance you need to see your response a bit more objectively.

These are my favorite tips for communicating through e-mail.

What about you?

Do you have e-mail tips that help you communicate clearly and effectively?

Feel free to share them in the comments.

P.S. Check out the Email Charter by TED Curator Chris Anderson. It's a pretty cool idea.

The articles in it were previously kicking around here, there and everywhere.

You, too, might have a few articles kicking around that have been published; or maybe they're just sitting in your computer.

Either way, consider resurrecting those articles from the graveyard and package them into an e-book.

You can repurpose your existing articles into an e-book in four simple steps.

My latest article for Content Marketing Institute, "4 Steps to Publish an E-Book: Tap into Your Existing Articles," shows you exactly how to do it.

Check it out, share a comment, tweet it, etc.

Thanks!

For the longest time (a few years, actually!), I've had a number of folks tell me I should write an e-book and give it away to subscribers.

And for years, I thought "Someday I'll get it." (Yeah, right.)

Well, that "someday" finally came.

About a month ago I published a free 26-page e-book, "5 (Ridiculously Simple) Ways to Write Faster, Better, Easier." (The e-book is available to anyone who subscribes to this blog.)

When the e-book was finally published, I had no idea what to expect. Would people love it? Hate it? Would they really care about it? I had all the typical questions anyone would have if they were considering writing an e-book.

Once the e-book was available, I discovered many (eye-opening) benefits of having finally written one. What are the benefits?

Head on over to Savvy B2B Marketing where I share the benefits of writing an e-book in an article called, "3 (Eye-Opening) Benefits I Learned Writing a Free E-Book."

If you've ever wondered why you should publish a free e-book for your audience, check out what I learned. The benefits go far beyond the three I mentioned but, hey, three is a start.

I hope my article inspires you to write your own e-book someday.

Why hidden? Because until you see the results of a professionally proofread document, the reasons for hiring one are easily dismissed (and overlooked).

Imagine being 50% more creative because your "inner editor" is turned off, knowing that a second pair of eyes will be checking your work.

I've discovered many benefits of hiring a professional proofreader. In my latest article for Content Marketing Institute I highlight "5 Reasons Why EVERY Content Marketer Needs a Professional Proofreader."

The article generated lots of interesting comments so be sure to swing by and add your comment to the others!

Ugh.

Doesn't that just bug the daylights out of you?

Well, there’s good news

Check out my latest article, “How to Create 5 Marketing Products from 1 Interview.”

Feel free to dive into the conversation and post your thoughts, comments or ideas.

P.S. If you're new to this site, be sure to pick up your free 25-page e-book just by subscribing for future updates.]]>http://www.directortom.com/director-tom/rss-comments-entry-11283386.xmlaudio interviewcontent marketing instituteinterview tipsinterview tipsvideo interviewThomas R. CliffordMon, 28 Mar 2011 19:33:00 +0000http://www.directortom.com/director-tom/2011/3/28/revealed-my-best-video-interviewing-secret-ever.html86685:750379:10949002After interviewing 1,500+ people on-camera, I've learned how to deal with lots of different interviewing challenges.

And I've learned lots of little secrets to work around those challenges.

But there is one very cool interviewing secret I learned (um, the hard way)
And now, you can use it, too.

Once I discovered this technique, I started using it successfully in every interview from that moment on.

Nowadays, content comes from a variety of sources
If part of your marketing content depends on capturing great material from interviews, then you'll be interested in knowing about this technique.

Head on over to Content Marketing Institute to read my article
"Why Video Interview Content Falls Short (And How to Fix It)."

While you're there, feel free to add your comments, "like" it or tweet it.

Thank you.

---Tom

P.S. I almost forgot.

You can use this technique in your audio and print interviews, as well.