Lucky You
In other words, to get lucky you have to do the work and then stay open for the opportunity to put it to its best advantage.
2. Write intensely. Tons of studies have shown that your mind is as much as 20 times more productive when it's at rest or in meditation than when it's concentrating on solving a problem. You'll write more imaginatively, and more productively, if you follow this simple formula:
Set a timer. Write with all your might and all the concentration you can muster for 15 minutes. Then stop. Leave your desk, and take a mental and physical break for five minutes. Then back to work for another 15, and repeat all day long. Seriously, try it. I bet you'll be impressed with the results.
3. Write widely. You've probably noticed that when you write your mind has a tendency to wander — in fact, it seems to want to think about everything except what you're working on. So let it. At least up to a point. Try opening several different projects at once so you can jump to and fro from window to window. Open two or three packages, open your memoirs or journal, and open the letter you've been meaning to write to your mother. As you work on one thing, you'll suddenly get an idea or phrase for something else. So open that one, and work until what you wanted to say in that third piece pops into your head. Deadlines can make this a bit of a challenge sometimes, but hey, you're a professional. You can deal with it.
Somebody said, (the author is in dispute), "The harder I work, the luckier I get." I've always found that statement incredibly irritating, hackneyed and smug. And infuriatingly true. If you're a writer that struggles, the solution for nearly every writing problem is simply to keep writing. So get busy, and get lucky.
Willis Turner believes great writing has the power to change minds, save lives, and make people want to dance and sing. Willis is the creative director at Huntsinger & Jeffer. He worked as a lead writer and creative director in the traditional advertising world for more than 15 years before making the switch to fundraising 20 years ago. In his work with nonprofit organizations and associations, he has written thousands of appeals, renewals and acquisition communications for every medium. He creates direct-response campaigns, and collateral communications materials that get attention, tell powerful stories and persuade people to take action or make a donation.
