Category Archives: Podcast

Write While True Episode 12: Keep a Topic List

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In the past, when I set goals to write more frequently, I was always stopped by not having ideas ready for what to write about. Or when I got one, I didn’t have a systematic way of collecting them. I would sit down to write, but getting started on a new piece was too difficult.

My ONE thing is make it so that when I sit down to write I have a checklist to work from.

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Write While True Episode 11: Quantity and Quality

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I know that a lot of my episodes are variations on the theme of quantity. In episode one, I asked you to write morning pages every day. In episode 4, I asked you to make a schedule where you write multiple days a week. I’ve talked about the importance of producing many first drafts. In episode 8, I said you should lower your bar and just last week I shared my personal “why”, which is all about playing the infinite game because it’s fun. The title of this podcast is a play on the idea of the infinite game.

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Write While True Episode 10: Finding My Why

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The exercise this week is to think about your “why”? I don’t think it’s wrong to write for money or fame, but if you’re an amateur like me, I’d find something easier to attain.

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Write While True Episode 9: Deprivation

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I don’t use a lot of social media, but if I don’t plan my time intentionally, I’ll find myself watching a lot of YouTube.

It’s not that I think that my life should be 100% dedicated to making new things or in solitary contemplation. But, there are times when I notice that level of output isn’t where I want it to be, and so I take a good look at how I am spending my time.

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Write While True Episode 8: Lower the Bar

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This episode is about lowering the bar, and I’m tempted to just say to go do it and sign off.

I won’t do that, but I am going to keep the bar on this episode pretty low. Now, you’re probably thinking — Lou, I thought the bar for Write While True episodes was pretty low already.

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Write While True Episode 7: Find Your Voice

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Lately, I’m thinking a lot about what this podcast sounds like. I’m new to podcasting and I’m very aware that I have a lot to do to sound more natural, but that’s not exactly what I’m talking about.

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Write While True Episode 6: Editing First Drafts

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I was first exposed to this idea at The Business of Software conference in 2017. Joanna Wiebe gave a talk about copywriting for SaaS businesses. She’s an advertising copy writer, and the talk is mostly about that. It’s worth watching the whole thing, but near the end, she said something that astonished me.

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Write While True Episode 5: Audience and Message

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Like many people I write to think. And, it helps. I set out with only inklings of an idea and by the time I am done, I usually have a coherent a complete thought. The writing contains it, but it doesn’t communicate it.

There’s a difference between writing to think and writing to communicate and I finally understand that.

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Write While True Episode 4: Make a Schedule

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The times that I’ve made the least progress on writing was when I was trying to do it on the side or as a hobby. This isn’t because of the relative amount of time I devoted to it. It was because I treated it as something I would try to fit in, and it never did. I could always find something else to do.

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