We all need to write more crappy first drafts – that’s the way to truly get unstuck from writing. In this episode I learn from Daphne Gray-Grant about her inspiring writing process.
This episode is sponsored by EveryPlate. With EveryPlate you get meals you’ll enjoy and your bank account will love delivered right to your door. This means the meal planning, shopping, and prepping is all done for you, taking the time-consuming guesswork out of cooking. Even at regular price, EveryPlate is up to 58% cheaper than other major meal kits out there. Listeners of The Productivityist Podcast can get 3 weeks of EveryPlate meals for only $2.99 by going to EveryPlate.com and enter the code timecrafting3. Get started with EveryPlate today!
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers you access to a your own licensed professional therapist – all from the comfort of wherever you are. You can arrange weekly video chats or phone calls, text with your carefully curated counsellor, and do so at an affordable price. And anything you share is confidential. I’ve been using BetterHelp for a while and I am highly impressed. It’s been a huge help for me and I know it can be the same for you. Start living a happier life today with BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/timecrafting. Give BetterHelp a try today.
This episode is sponsored by TextExpander. With TextExpander, you can unlock your productivity with its many features. With TextExpander you can make everything you write repetitively available everywhere you type: text documents, spreadsheets, web forms, and more. Unlock your productivity with TextExpander. Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year.
From my experience of writing a book, I know the process can easily get overwhelming. Which is why I was refreshed to hear about the need to write “crappy first drafts” from today’s guest, Daphne Gray-Grant. Aside from being a prolific writer, Daphne is also a coach to many writers who want to learn to write faster, better. She started her career in the newspaper business and quickly learnt that 80% of your writing is the process you have set up – 20% is the actual writing.
Tune in as we explore the lessons she’s taught to hundreds of her clients. We discuss mind mapping techniques, the joy of paper, and her love for treadmill desks.
Talking Points
- On treadmill desks and Daphne’s love of walking (1:55)
- The draw to editing (5:57)
- Daphne’s writing mindset and routine (9:50)
- Is there a good timeline for writing a book? (13:39)
- Ways to beat mind map overwhelm (23:48)
- The impact of writing by keyboard vs by hand (31:55)
- Who can benefit from dictations? (34:05)
- The most common mistakes people make when mind mapping (37:42)
“A mind map is not an outline nor an organizational tool – it’s an inspirational tool”
– Daphne Gray-Grant
Helpful Links
- Episode 288: How to Be Awesome at Your Job with Pete Mockaitis
- Daphne Gray-Grant’s interview on ‘How To Be Awesome At Your Job’
- Gabriele Rico’s Clustering
- Writing the Natural Way | Amazon
- Episode 238: How to Keep Going with Austin Kleon
- GoodNotes
- iThoughts
- Scapple
- Scrivener
- Drafts
- PublicationCoach.com
Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)
Do you want ideas, insights, and information on how to craft your time in just one weekly email?
Then you want ATTN: sent to you.
ATTN: is a weekly digest from Productivityist that delivers a week's worth of content in a nice little package directly to your inbox. Just enter your email to subscribe.
