1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,799 Speaker 1: tip is that you can't edit a blank page. So 4 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: if you are writing something, just go ahead and get 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: something down, because you can always make it better if 6 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: you have something to work with. Today's tip is a 7 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: version of a quote from Cass Sunstein, a professor at 8 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: Harvard Law School and a prolific author. He was interviewed 9 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: by Penn professors Angela Duckworth and Katie Miltman. The topic 10 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: of their interview is behavioral science and public policy, but 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: Duckworth and Moltman couldn't resist the opportunity to ask his 12 00:00:54,640 --> 00:01:00,319 Speaker 1: secret to writing so much. His response, you can't edit 13 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 1: a blank page, he continued, Sometimes I think to myself, 14 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: I have a project and I don't have any words, 15 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: and there's nothing for me to edit. So why don't 16 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: I put words and then I'll have something I can edit. 17 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: It sounds simple and logical, and as a writer myself, 18 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: I can tell you it is wise. You can turn 19 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: something into something better, but turning nothing into something is 20 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: a different matter. Best to get past the nothing stage, 21 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: So why not adopt these words which I have heard 22 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: attributed to other writers, as well as a motivational phrase 23 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: for yourself. You can't edit a blank page. The next 24 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: time you are having trouble beginning a difficult project, just 25 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: say these words to yourself. You can't edit a blank page. 26 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: So the sooner you get some words down, the sooner 27 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: you can get to what you will probably constitute the 28 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: book of your work. Now, there are a few tricks 29 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: to help you get past the blank page stage. The 30 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: first is to lower your standards. First drafts are almost 31 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: always terrible, so what carry on? Go ahead and write 32 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: something bad. Another option for getting past the blank page 33 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: is to realize that you don't have to start at 34 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: the beginning. Start anywhere you have something to say, and 35 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: then build around there. A third option is to plan 36 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: to visit the piece multiple times. Let's hope you don't 37 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: need to immediately publish whatever you crank out in the 38 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: next ten minutes. If you plan for multiple sessions, that 39 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: will lower the pressure for each time you touch the work. 40 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: This might mean jotting down notes in one setting, writing 41 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,359 Speaker 1: in another, sitting and editing in a third. It might 42 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 1: mean getting down ideas for a presentation in one sitting 43 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: creating the titles for slides in the next completing the 44 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 1: slides in the next setting, and planning your talking points 45 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: in the final one. Once you get past the blank 46 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: page stage, you have something to edit. Now you can 47 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: make progress turning what you've got into what you would 48 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: like it to be. But until you get to that stage, 49 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:30,399 Speaker 1: no real progress can happen, so best not to sit 50 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: on nothing for too long. In the meantime, this is Laura. 51 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 52 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 53 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 54 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 55 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 56 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 57 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.