Home
>
Writing
>
Writing the KAIZEN Way

Writing the KAIZEN Way

Over the past eight years or so, I have tutored thousands of writing students. They come in all flavours: retirees who at last have time to satisfy a dream; young mothers who want a job they can do at home; bored workers who feel their creativity is being stifled by their existing careers.

Most of them start out with great enthusiasm and high expectations. Some are naturally talented and sail through the course; I know beyond doubt that if they just stick with it they will get published eventually. Others are surprised by how hard it is to actually sit down and write, day after day. They had thought writing a book would be easy - just a few pages a day. The reality is a shock. Quite a number give up after only a few assignments, and look for hobby that's more fun.

Then there are those who really, really want to be published. They may have been praised during their school years for their writing skills. They may have had people say "You write such great letters - you should have been a writer!" or "You're doing a terrific job on the club newsletter - why don't you write for magazines?"

All enthused, they enrol in a course - then reality hits. There's so much to learn! Rather than just sitting down at the computer and bashing out page after page of a gripping story, they find that they need to have some idea of where the story is going. (Plotting? Aarrgh!) And why aren't those characters coming to life on the page? They find themselves hitting the 'delete' key more than anything else. A whole day goes by and there's half a page to show for it. And what's more, they wail, "it's all junk!!"

Those who just 'have to write' usually keep going. But quite often, they go through weeks or months of depression and get very little done. They swing back and forth between "I give up. I'm never going to get published; who am I fooling?" and "I've just GOT to write. I'm going to have another shot at it!"

So what's the problem here? Is writing really that hard? Or are people's expectations set too high to start with?

A large part of the problem is that most people expect to 'master' writing in a short time. Why is this? After all, if you undertake a training course in different field you know you'll have to invest a large chunk of time. Nobody expects to become an engineer without years of study. Architects, teachers, IT specialists, nurses, journalists and top sports professionals all put in years of training and hours each week perfecting skills.

Well... why should writing be any different?

A New Principle: Writing The Kaizen Way

Perhaps what you need to do is take a different perspective on writing.

The Japanese have a concept known as Kaizen, which means "gradual continual improvements over time".

Don't try to master everything in a course that lasts six months.
Don't let yourself be overwhelmed by the idea of having to write an entire 100,000 word novel.
Don't impose unrealistic time constraints ("If I can't get a novel finished and accepted in a year I'll toss it in.")

Instead, work on gradual improvements. Over the course of weeks, months and years, this will add up to a substantial level of improvement. Start with the aspect of writing that is frustrating you most, and work on it until you can see a difference.

You now have a new tool in your writer's toolkit! Then tackle the next problem.

Let's take this scenario: You have started writing a novel, but you've stopped because you have no idea what is going to come next. You know plotting is your weak point. What do you do?

Say to yourself: OK, I'm going to learn as much as I can about plotting in the next four/six/eight weeks. At the end of that time I'm going to have a workable outline for my novel.

Then sit down and work out how you're going to do it. Will you surf the internet and look for relevant advice/articles? Will you buy a couple of good books on plotting? Will you arrange to meet with other writers and find out how they plot their books?

Once you have your plan of action, stick to it. And DO make note of what you're learning. Remember, the Kaizen principle is all about gradual, continual improvements over time. Every time you learn something new, that's a small advance on where you were before.

What if it takes longer than you'd planned? Fine. Just KEEP GOING. Your aim is to master one thing, then move on to the next. When you're feeling a lot more comfortable with plotting, it's time to advance to the next challenge.

Need to know more about creating believable characters? Want to write more convincing dialogue? Work on whatever it is... add the new skill to your toolkit... then move on.

As you can see, the secret to gradual improvement is simple: effort applied consistently over time.

This will make an enormous difference to your development as a writer. Start using the "Kaizen principle" today, record every improvement, and you'll be elated at how much you've grown at the end of a year.

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

home cleaning services Mundelein ...

In The News:

A phishing email disguised as an Evite fooled a man even after he emailed his friend to verify it, revealing how compromised Gmail accounts aid scams.

Microsoft's AI diagnostic system identified 83% of complex medical cases in a study, more than doubling the 36% accuracy of generalist doctors.

Account takeover threats go beyond stolen passwords as criminals exploit session cookies, SIM swaps and MFA fatigue to bypass your login security.

SpaceX is reportedly pursuing access to 80,000 cell sites to turn Starlink into a major wireless carrier rivaling Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Tech advocacy groups warn that foreign nationals at AI companies like OpenAI and Google pose a national security threat amid a lack of federal oversight.

Singapore researchers built the world's first touchscreen woven into clothing, surviving 50 machine washes while displaying images and responding to touch.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A startup founder woke to $449 in unexpected OpenAI and Anthropic charges after stolen API keys were exploited during the "Black October" cyber wave.

Educational Testing Service hackers stole millions of California student records, but families who moved out of state years ago may also be affected.

Apple's iPhone Duo screens are cracking near the hinge just days after its $1,999 launch, and iFixit's CT scans may reveal what's going wrong.

Travel expert Katy Nastro says 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles vanished from her account after someone redeemed them without permission.

Google AI Overviews can't be permanently turned off, but adding -AI to your searches and using the built-in Web filter can help bypass AI summaries.

Attaxion researchers found 30 fake Texas campaign merchandise stores traced to just two sellers hawking gear for competing Republicans and Democrats.

GM plans to debut eyes-off driving in the Cadillac Escalade IQ by 2028, but safety testing reveals how long distracted drivers take to regain control.

Data brokers assign labels predicting your health, finances and religion based on browsing and purchases, then sell those profiles to businesses.

Elon Musk says he'll give one SpaceX share to every kid in America in 2027, but key details about eligibility and distribution remain unclear.

ClearSpace UK's robotic spacecraft with giant claws will chase down dead satellites at 17,000 mph, with a 2029 launch from Scotland planned.

A fake Social Security statement phishing email uses the SSA logo and a convincing layout, but the sender's domain instantly exposes the scam.

A clean credit report doesn't mean your identity is safe. Six ways criminals can steal from you without triggering a credit monitoring alert.

Carolyn Marvin, a 78-year-old retired professor, was arrested after blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot on a Philadelphia sidewalk for months.

The Midnight Mimosa malware campaign hides inside cheap Android phone firmware, giving attackers powerful access before owners even turn devices on.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Meta's Muse AI was built to manage tasks, but users are developing romantic AI relationships and even calling the AI companion their girlfriend.

A Minnesota murder suspect's notebook listed 11 people search websites, raising urgent questions about data broker opt-out and online privacy risks.

Google Universal Cart tracks price drops, surfaces promo codes and uses Google Wallet to match your best credit card rewards before checkout.