Great writing evolves from frequent reading and writing. But even the best writers can enhance their skills.

1. TRADE TIPS:
8 HABITS OF EFFECTIVE AND
PRODUCTIVE WRITERS
Helpful hints for public relations
and marketing professionals.
By Nicole Hayes
Great writing evolves from frequent reading and writing.
But even the best writers can enhance their skills.

2. In today's world of constant interruptions, all of us can benefit from
suggestions to create a more productive writing environment.
I enjoyed the tips eight tips shared by Debra Johnson in a recent
PR Daily article, "8 Habits of Effective and Productive Writers."

3. Pick an off time to write.
1
• It might be early in the morning,
late in the afternoon or even in
the middle of the night.
• You know when it is in your life:
That time when everything
seems to settle down for a little
while, or right before it starts all
over again.
• If you can find this prime time
and get writing, you will be a lot
more productive.

4. Set aside time to write every day.
2
• When you make writing a part of
your day like any other necessity, it
can make it feel like less of a
struggle.
• Habits are easy to form and hard
to break, so make it a habit to
write.
• Setting aside the same time
every day also means your brain
will be ready to cooperate when
you sit down.

5. Make a space.
3
• Pick a space to write where
you can get away from it all.
• Try to find a quiet corner or
room with a door you can shut
and tune out the rest of the
world.
• A solid desk, an ergonomic
chair and other basic
necessities are a good idea.

6. Crank up the tunes.
4
If noise is your problem, invest in a good headset or ear buds.
Crank up the music and get writing.

7. Turn off the phone.
5
• There are almost no
situations where you can't turn
off your phone for an hour or
two.
• Alert the masses with a text
and then shut it off.
• No one will be upset about
not being about to contact you
for a short time.

8. Get anti-social.
6
• If social media is your time
waster of choice, shut it down.
• You do not have to check
Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest
every five minutes.
• Valuable writing time can be
lost on social media.
• After a while you will find you
don't miss it.

9. Learn what an emergency is.
7
• There are emergencies, and
then there are emergencies.
• Learn to tell the difference and
prioritize.
• Make writing a priority and
think before you act.
• Remember, it's OK to tell
people "no" or "later."

10. Take notes.
8
• Instead of losing all those great
thoughts to the chaos that is life,
carry a pen and notebook with
you.
• That way you can catch
inspiration when it strikes.
• Instead of just jotting a word or
two, take a few moments to
write down the whole idea,
outline and all if need be.

11. This presentation was adapted from our Voice Matters Blog.
To learn more about McKinney & Associates, visit www.mckpr.com
McKinney & Associates was founded in 1990 with a commitment to
social justice that has prevailed for more than 20 years. From the
beginning, McKinney passionately and skillfully practiced Public
Relations with a Conscience for local, national and international
organizations.
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