A few months ago, I reviewed a book about dance and how it related to online learning. Today’s book is even more relevant to online learning. Courses may include writing and sharing comments, paragraphs, and essays.

If you have taken the course Learning How to Learn, you may remember Daphne Gray-Grant, who features in an optional course video. In the video, Daphne explains how both the diffuse mode and the focussed mode of thinking are needed for writing tasks and how we use the different modes at different stages of the task. As The Publication Coach, Daphne is familiar with many different problems while writing and has thought about how to overcome them. The result is a book titled “Your Happy First Draft.”

How to Write More Easily

I was delighted to be offered an advance copy in exchange for a short, honest review. You can see my review on the book’s sales page. I liked the book so much, I also decided to write today’s comprehensive review for Online Learning Success.

This 200-page offering is absolutely packed with gems of writing suggestions. Don’t stare at a blank screen with writer’s block, draft out a mindmap! If you are worried your writing is rubbish, try some positive self-talk. I loved Daphne’s examples of self talk. My favourite was “You don’t have to win a Pulitzer Prize, Daphne, you just have to finish the story.” Too often when I write, I want it to be top-notch right from the get-go, and end up procrastinating. Just as Daphne describes, I’ll plan next weeks’ meals, do housework, or succumb to a guilty half-hour of Facebook or Candy Crush when I should be writing.

Pomodoro

The Pomodoro is mentioned here as an excellent way to get your teeth into your writing task. Just as for any phase of learning, spending 25-minute blocks of time really focussing on the task at hand can lead to a sense of achievement. Having made a start, the task immediately becomes less daunting.

Almost everyone will benefit from the writing techniques explained in the book. Students may need to write an assignment, a funding application, thesis or dissertation. Your job might include writing articles, emails, or advertising copy. You may even be a blogger who needs to produce output on a regular basis. The reminder that no-one else should see your first draft was a release for me; permission to write poorly if that’s how it turns out, because the essence of the story is there. The critical thing is that you can revise your writing later. Write early enough that you have time to lick it into shape before handing it to your boss, thesis supervisor or online audience.

A Benefit in the First Chapter

How much time to spend on planning, writing, and editing your work is discussed in the very first chapter. I discovered I spend too much time planning and researching, worried that I’ll get part-way through and run out of things to say. I realised, though, it’s also a procrastinating technique. If I don’t start writing, I won’t be writing trash. Daphne covers the issue of spending too much time researching in Chapter seven.

The Value of Habit

Daphne advises writers to make a habit of writing every day, or ideally five days a week. Setting up the habit makes it easier to achieve, even if it’s only for five minutes. It’s more encouraging to start with a ridiculously small target and achieve it than fail to meet a large target. This sage advice also applies to learning; keep chipping away at your course and finish it!

Mindmaps and More

I have read about mindmaps before and have made them from time to time. Admittedly, it’s a while since I made one. The chapter about mindmaps made me want to try it again. When I planned this article, I drew up a mindmap, which, yes, made the process easier. I didn’t reach the “Aha!” moment that Daphne describes when the mindmap makes you inspired to start writing straight away, but I’ll stick at it. I’ll be re-reading the mindmap chapter again and again as I practice.

You can find the seven deadly sins of writing in Chapter 10. The destructive emotions of fear, boredom, exhaustion, frustration, doubt, confusion, and impatience are defined and discussed, with strategies for overcoming them.

The chapter about research recommends thinking about your audience even before you start your research, so you don’t waste hours finding irrelevant resources. You may not need all the information you find, but with an overall plan to start with, you can use your research time to deepen your understanding rather than chasing red herrings. The value of a reliable index of your research is also discussed and Daphne has great pointers here as well.

A Healthy Mind and Body

Along with the description of many roadblocks to writing, Daphne also reminds us that keeping a healthy mindset can help the writing process. Walking is an excellent way to help the mind relax into diffuse mode. The physical exercise is helpful, too. Meditation is another way to improve our wellbeing. And I don’t mean use meditation to plan your next piece of writing! Daphne describes her own experience of meditation, descriptions of what it is and isn’t, and offers it as a way to relax, reduce anxiety, and become a better writer. This is another chapter that I will be revisiting many times in the future.

Editing After Your First Draft

After the guidelines for writing your happy first draft, find some useful editing techniques in Chapter 11. Learn about the value of letting your work incubate before final editing. Learn why it’s more efficient to do “multiple-pass” editing, focussing on just one aspect each time. Learn the difference between substantive editing and copy-editing.

The final chapter is a quick recap of the major concepts from throughout the book.

 A Final Thought

We are constantly learning. With online communications often being written, it is crucial to learn how to write quickly and without agony.

By Pat Bowden, published September 24, 2019.