Writing Practice Not Happening by Keyboard

Last week I said I would make daily journal entries on this blog instead of in my handwritten journal. It doesn't work.

The lesson following the  goal setting lesson emphasizes the need to plan before you write.  Rather than the old 80-20 rule, my Publication Coach wants 40-20-40.  Forty percent planning (and research), twenty percent first draft at the keyboard, forty percent final edit.

I did two different writing plans. One I typed into a draft blog post, for my eyes only.  I had the mind map in mind, but I typed the theme and the threads I wanted to cover.  I will post the final this Wednesday, the end of summer. I have a deadline.  The subject is a climate summary for my region since April 1.  My research includes my own data collected from my weather station, and my daily reports to the State Climatology Office.  I collected monthly summaries online for official reporting stations in my region.  All that in 30 minutes, because I am an expert at this kind of analysis.  The report has the content mostly done.  The draft blog post can be typed quickly.  Will I need 30 minutes to edit the final? Probably.

The second plan tied two events together from last Saturday, the annual Amery, WI Fall Festival, and our Carlson Family reunion, which was deliberately planned for the same date.  I made a handwritten mind map in my journal. One 8 1/2 X 11 page has enough substance to cover several chapters of my memoirs, which have gone untouched for years.  My immediate project is a blog post tying the two events together, in about 500 words, with photos.  The mind map took 30 minutes. More planning is required.

I should add a fourth step to the plan, type, and edit. I need to reflect on the overall goal, the objectives, and the progress of this course.  Keep track of the lessons, and the readings. Take notes. Make adjustments.