Category: Writing

Create a zero draft

creative thinking, use zero draft, creative spark

Today’s creative spark came to me while I was looking for a specific quotation, for a project I’m working on. I found the quote and it immediately provided me with a wide-ranging creativity tactic.

The quote came from the brilliant mind of Roy Peter Clark. It was part of some advice he shared to an aspiring author, who was struggling and asked Roy for help.

This is what jumped out at me.

Draft earlier than you think you can. Not even a first draft, but a Zero Draft.

One of the great barriers to creativity is fear. Fear stops us getting started. Fear of failure, criticism, people laughing at us, whatever. If we don’t start, we don’t finish. We fail to create or produce anything. We’re creatively blocked!

Roy knew that a great way to start writing a book, is to write something free from the fear of failure.

A first draft carries expectation. A zero draft carries none. The stakes are as low as possible. The barrier of fear is removed. And the struggling author now has the freedom to get started. Once started, momentum is built. And they’re writing.

Whatever kind of creative work we’re struggling to get started, by adding our own version of a zero draft, we too can get moving. We’re free to start on something where there’s zero expectation, the stakes are lower than low and the barrier is removed.

Frame your words for maximum impact!

creative writing in a napkin, Jim Connolly
Photo taken in a hurry with my iPhone.

Your written words can have a far greater impact, so long as you know how and where to frame them. Here’s how framing works, including an example from a few hours ago.

I had a coffee after dropping my son off at university. While my cappuccino was being made, a piece of an idea came to me. So, I grabbed a napkin to jot it down.

The piece of an idea was for a client of mine. He’s the managing director of a well-known packaging company. I was playing with some words regarding environmentally friendly packaging.

Our team will help you produce packaging that disappears with grace, not guilt.

It was only after putting my glasses on to start writing, that I noticed the ‘100% recycled’ stamp on the flip side of the napkin. So, I framed my words with the stamp.

Though this was just a part of an idea and didn’t make the cut, the fact that it was framed on a recycled napkin gave it impact.

It caught the barista’s attention.

He then took a photo of it to show to the manager.

She shared it on the company’s social media accounts.

I shared it with a few friends, again, there was far more interest than a poorly-written note deserved.

It was the framing that made all the difference. It was also the story behind the framing of the words, which made it interesting enough for me to share with you.

The wording of the note itself was garbage. Think what would have happened, if that was the finished, creative idea!

Make it work for you

Now imagine your next important message. Something you want people to take notice of.

Once you’ve decided what you want to say, give your creativity a chance to shine. Think of the best ‘thing’ to frame your message on. And how best to share it.

For example, on the palm of your hand. Then take a photo of it, with your palm facing forward as if to signal STOP! That could work, if you’re protesting against something and have a short message. It would work on social media, too.

Look for a creative connection. Get the framing right and it will massively multiply the impact of your message.

Time is not your enemy. It’s your editor.

time is your editor. image of a clock in the middle of a bookcase.
Time is your editor

It struck me earlier: time is not your enemy. It’s your editor.

As the husband of a best-selling author, I know the role editors have in making sure a book is ready for publishing. And honestly, time is more like your editor than your enemy.

  • Time inspires you to get moving. So does your editor.
  • Time causes you to focus on what’s important. So does your editor.
  • Time gives you a structure to work to. So does your editor.

Time gets a bad rap. So do editors. Neither of them are your enemy.

Give your written words maximum impact

Photo by Sarah Cervantes on Unsplash

If you want a written message to have maximum impact, place the emphatic word at the end of the sentence.

Here’s a great example of what this looks like. It’s from Roy Peter Clark, senior scholar and vice president of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.

Shakespeare did not write “The Queen is dead, my lord”. He wrote “The Queen, my lord, is dead”.

If you want to read my short post on this subject, it’s available on my marketing blog.