Why NaNoWriMo is Good for You

In a matter of hours, National Novel Writing Month 2017 begins.  Feel the pressure yet? The excitement?  The judgment and criticism?
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After all, why bother?  

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This is the holiday season.  The clock strikes midnight on Halloween and the NaNoWriMo ticker starts ticking.  In 23 days, it will be Thanksgiving. 

And it's year-end, business-wise.  There are deadlines to meet.  Procrastinating clients will call in a frantic need for something yesterday. Happens every year.

So, is it nuts to add the goal of writing 1700 words each day for 30 days into the mix?  Am I crazy for doing this?

Well, sure, maybe. 

What I Get Out of NaNoWriMo

Here's the thing.  I don't dedicate my Novembers to NaNoWriMo because I'm planning on writing the Great American Novel in one month's time. 

I'm doing it for several other reasons, ones that I think help me and may help you, too, Dear Reader should you decide to join in the fun.  Things like:

• It helps my self-discipline.  I keep to a schedule during the holiday season. 
• It spurs my imagination.  Each morning, there is a fun and safe invitation to dream and fantasize all sorts of things.  Dogs that can talk; pink skies; mysterious passageways ....  And I can put them into plots, not just leave them in my daydreams.
• It helps me see how much and how fast I can write.  As the chapters build, there is a sense of accomplishment.  Of doing something just for me.  Just. For. Me.
• It helps me build a story without worrying about vocabulary, dialogue, setting.  I fly though the day's word count getting the story down for that day.  It's freeing.  I'm a storyteller and I'm not sure what's going to happen the next day. 
• Finally, it keeps the Judgmental Bear away.  Oh, how I love to criticize myself!  Here, I know that I'm writing a bad novel.  It's supposed to be bad.  To make sure I keep this in mind, I do things like start each year's epic with the same sentence:  "On a dark and stormy night ...."
• It's creative.  I draw maps of the village, I cut out photos of watches or cars or recipes or cats that fit with my storyline.  I collect them with disc-binding into this fun, zany scrapbook slash art journal.  They go alongside my words, which I hand-wrote last year and plan on doing again this year.  This disc-bound book gets big.  It's magical.  I add washi tape and vintage postcards and lace.  Done right, it needs a big fat ribbon to hold itself together.  I love this.
• Bottom line, it's fun.  NaNoWriMo is fun.  And I need all the fun I can get these days, don't you?

For more, check out:

"Fast-Draft Writing for NaNoWriMo and Every Other Month," posted on September 19, 2017 by Writing Coach;
and all the NaNoWriMo online Pep Talks by writers like Dean Koontz, John Green, Sue Grafton, Tom Robbins, Meg Cabot and many more .

Dictating with Free Google Docs Voice Recognition Software

I hate to think how much money I've spent over the years on various headphone sets and updated versions of Dragon Naturally Speaking.

When I first purchased Dragon, I used the ill-fitting headphones provided with the package because the documentation explained this was best for accuracy.  It was vital to keep the mike in a set position near to your mouth, too.  You had to remember your placement each time you decided to dictate. 

It's even more depressing to think about how much time I spent reading speeches by John F. Kennedy and chapters from Alice in Wonderland into Dragon in order to increase the accuracy of my fancy personal voice recognition software. 

Nuance (the software maker) provided all sorts of lengthy content for this purpose.  It was interesting enough.  It was also time consuming.  And periodically, I would upgrade and have to go back to square one, re-reading Alice aloud once again. 

See, e.g., my 2009 post “Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 - Highly Recommend It, 99% Accuracy.”

Time and money. I spent a lot of time and money on Dragon.  

But no more!  

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I Adore Google Docs’ Voice Recognition Software

Right now, I'm dictating this blog post using Google Docs’ Voice-Typing tool.

And I’m amazed.  The accuracy is better than Dragon from the get-go.  I haven’t had to dictate a single speech or book chapter.

Even more wonderful, I’m dictating as I sit comfortably in front of my laptop, the television chattering in the background and the dog snoozing at my feet.  No cords!  No headset!  No careful enunciation. Just chattering away. 

And the price is right!  It’s free!

Time and money.  I’m saving so much time and money with Google Docs.

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Sure, I Still Have to Edit

Of course, I have to edit what I've dictated in Google Docs. That’s partly my fault, though: I have a bad habit of saying “next paragraph” instead of “new paragraph” for one thing. 

Editing was a must with Dragon, as well.  Who doesn’t edit after they’ve dictated?  Not sure having to edit the dictation is a drawback here.

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You May Love Google’s Voice Recognition Alternative to Dragon, Too

So, Dear Reader, here’s the thing.  I admit I was a snoot about Dragon and assumed it was superior to the freebie tool in Google Docs. 

I was wrong.  I apologize, Google Docs.

And I am so happy right now: not having to wear a headset, as I'm speaking in a normal tone and my laptop's microphone is catching everything I'm saying.

It's wonderful.  I love this.  Maybe you will, too. 

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Will I Use It For NaNoWriMo 2017? Dunno.

As for a National Novel Writing Month, I still plan on handwriting my novel again this year. I enjoy writing fast and sloppy with a pen and paper; that is part of my NaNoWriMo fun.

Still, as November progresses and my word count falls behind schedule, I may be tempted to dictate some of my stuff. 

I know the fact that I can dictate quickly into Google Docs, just staring at my laptop screen, and get this level of recognition and speed is something I'm going to remember.

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Should You Care About Readability Tests?

Do you use WordPress for blogging?  Then you may recognize the “Flesch-Kincaid Readability Score” in its critique of your content.   

The platform gives both a percentage and a critique.  Sometimes, it may find  your content is “hard to read.”   There may be suggestions, too: things like too much use of passive voice, for instance. 

Word Press Readability Critique

So, does your post content need more work?  Maybe yes; maybe, no. 

The WordPress critique also gives two thumbs up if your post is a mere 300 words long.  For many blogs (especially those focusing on legal topics) 300 words is not enough to get the job done. 

So my first point is to take the WordPress editor with a big fat grain of salt.  It’s not all one size fits all out there. 

The goal is to do what’s right for your reader.   Be smart.  Be savvy. 

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How Readability Tests Work

This is not to say that I don’t like the idea of a readability test.  After all, its purpose is to help you connect with your readers by insuring your writing corresponds to their reading level.   

How?  Like a magician, the readability test throws several things into its top hat before pulling out its white rabbit: things like how often you use passive voice, the complexity of your sentences, the length of your paragraphs, and if you use adverbs. 

Cut and paste your content into their tool (which automatically happens in WordPress), and voila! You have a readability score. 

The Writer discusses readability tests and reports that 65 is a good score on Flesch-Kincaid for “business writing.”  And it points out that the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test is one tool; there are others, as well. 

In fact, RavenTools has compiled a list on its blog described as the “ultimate list of online content readability tests.”  If you’re curious, then go check out their collection. 

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It’s All about Your Reader

Here’s my second point.  It’s not about the readability score as much as it is about the writer understanding his or her reader. 

If you are writing a legal blog discussing new SCOTUS opinions, where your readers are fellow lawyers and legal scholars, then your writing will score differently than if you are writing a blog explaining a new SCOTUS opinion to the general public.   (Wow, look at that long sentence!)

You aren’t writing for yourself.  You’re writing to convey a message.  If a readability test helps you to visualize and understand your reader better, then that is the best reason to use it.  IMHO.

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Have Some Fun with It

Oh, and one last thing.  Have some fun with these readability tests. Go grab some of your favorite writing and plug it into the thing. 

Say, throw some David Foster Wallace into your WordPress blog platform.  What pops up in the critique?  

Or try Ernest Hemingway, Nora Ephron, Truman Capote, or James Baldwin.   See how they score (and think about their intended readers).   

Templates For Writers

I found something interesting as I prepare for National Novel Writing Month. Something that I think will help me in my work, writing all sorts of non-fiction things.  It may help me in my research work, as well.

I am collecting templates for thrillers.  Formulas, outlines, what have you.

Someone suggested these were wacky -- maybe not to be trusted or used.  Thrillers aren't romance novels!  Thrillers are complex; they don't follow a set pattern!

Well, sorry.  I like them.  They help as I draft my outline.  (Yes, I'm working with an outline this year for NaNoWriMo.  No seat-of-the-pants approach this year. Nope.)

Here's the thing:  I'm pondering how formulas and templates apply to writing in all sorts of ways.  From blog posts to speeches. From white papers to in-depth articles and internal company memoranda.

They're everywhere.  This is a good thing.

Formulas and Patterns in Writing: Legal Briefs

I realize writing templates or formulas are not new to me. Lawyers recognize them. They are very much respected in the World of Law.

For instance, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit shares 295 pages of sample briefs online as well as its three page checklist.

The court's checklist includes:

1) CONTENTS OF BRIEFS (5TH CIR. R. 28.3 reproduced below gives the required contents of a brief.)a) Certificate of interested persons required by 5TH CIR. R. 28.2.1;b) Statement regarding oral argument required by 5TH CIR. R. 28.2.3 (see also FED. R. APP. P. 34(a)(1);c) A table of contents, with page references (see FED. R. APP. P. 28 (a)(2));d) A table of authorities (see FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(3));e) A jurisdictional statement as required by FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(4)(A) through (D);f) A statement of issues presented for review (see FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(5));g) A statement of the case (see FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(6));h) A summary of the argument (see FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(7));i) The argument, including the applicable standards of review (see FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(8));j) A short conclusion stating the precise relief sought (see FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(9);k) A signature of counsel or a party as required by FED. R. APP. P. 32(d);l) A certificate of service in the form required by FED. R. APP. P. 25;m) A certificate of compliance if required by FED. R. APP. P. 32(a)(7) and 5TH CIR. R. 32.3.

The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure are filed with all sorts of requirements.  The Clerk for the Fifth Circuit explains what is needed to meet FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(8), the "argument" section of the brief:

This must contain the party’s contentions with respect to the issues presented, and the reasons therefor, and must include citations to relevant authorities, statutes, and page numbers in the record on appeal. Although FED. R. APP. P. 28(a)(8)(B) allows discretion on where to place the standard of review in your brief, this court greatly prefers that your standard of review be “clearly identified in a separate heading before discussion of the issues.” If the issue is failure to admit or exclude evidence, refusal to give a particular jury instruction, or any other ruling for which a party must record an objection to preserve the right of appeal, your brief should identify where in the record on appeal counsel made proper objection and where it was ruled upon. (NOTE: an appellee does not need to state the standard of review unless he or she disagrees with the appellant’s standard);

I have no idea how many briefs, motions, memoranda, etc. I have written as a lawyer.  Hundreds? Thousands?  Dunno.  It's what I did.  Research, write, repeat.  

You?  Where have you found formulas or templates for writing?  

Templates for Thrillers

I've think the following thriller templates are interesting.  Helpful.  Maybe you will, too:

The Free Murder Mystery Template - already set up for Scrivener - written by Jennifer Mattern.

8 Formula Plot Templates by The Wise Sloth.

Writing Villa's "A Novel in 100 Days" Sample Mystery Plot Outline.

.... And this one is just fun -- The Crime Thriller Plot Generator.  

P.S. NaNoWriMo:  

Need some outlining encouragement?   Go read this Wall Street Journal interview of Jeffrey Deaver, who starts out by explaining that he uses a detailed outline for his thrillers.  Takes him months to build them.  Not that I've got months.  It's NaNoWriMo.  I've got days.  Yikes!

NaNoWriMo 2016: Getting Ready Tip No. 1

National Novel Writing Month begins in 45 days.  I'm going to participate again this year.

One of the hurdles I have failed to jump in past NaNoWriMo years has been the requirement that you cut and paste your writing into their platform.

This is how they track your progress, and how you confirm to their Powers That Be that you have written 50,000 words in 30 days' time.

Scares me.  I've had my online published work stolen on more than one occasion.  Am I paranoid? Gun-shy?  Whatever I am, it's been enough for me to keep track of my own word count and forego inserting my work into the NaNoWriMo web site.

And even if I get over that fear, there's another problem.  I like to write with a pen and paper as much or more as with a keyboard.  More on that on my blog Everyday Simplicity, "Cursive Handwriting vs Typing Your Words."

So, how am I to insert handwritten content into their platform?  Scan and OCR it?  Re-type it? No way, Jose.  

Well, I have discovered how to get around that obstacle.  As for my trepidation of putting 50,000 words into the NaNoWriMo site -- I'm working on that one.  Fingers crossed.

NaNoWriMo Tip No. 1: Converting Handwritten Content for Daily Word Count

There is a wonderful site called Lorem Ipsum which is a godsend for NaNoWriMo as far as I'm concerned.  It provides a way to insert typed words that correspond to your handwritten word count.

Now, you have to know your handwritten word count, that's a given.  You must overcome any temptation to just stick stuff into the platform willy-nilly.  (Lorem Ipsum is kinda fascinating with what it conjures up as text.)

Using the Lorem Ipsum site will allow my handwritten content to be counted in NaNoWriMo.  I think this will work.  It's making me more excited about November.  And I feel less vulnerable to losing my stuff by uploading it onto their site.

Maybe this will help you, too, Dear Reader.

I created the above image using Canva's free service and I release it into the public domain.

This file is in public domain, not copyrighted, no rights reserved, free for any use. You can use this picture for any use including commercial purposes without the prior written permission and without fee or obligation.

Productivity Tip: Have a Monkey Week

Two months ago, I started a new way of handling my monthly calendar that worked well over the holidays and I thought I'd share it with you, Dear Reader.

(That link reveals my Franklin Covey planner, I've used one of their planners for years.  Along with my online calendar. I like having stuff online, but I can't give up the paper and pen.  It's too much fun.)

Monthly Scheduling Time Tip

The tip?  It's my Monkey Week.

I schedule things that I have to do during the month for the first three weeks, leaving that last week of the month blank.

Everything that has to be done gets stuck somewhere.  This can can be anything, from a work project (e.g., revised outline to client) to getting an oil change for the car.

But nothing gets stuck into that last week.  Nothing.  It's pure.  That block on the calendar has nothing entered into it.  Zip. De Nada.

Then, when that last week hits -- whammo!  I have a week to get all the month's tasks finished before month end.

If I am swinging around from tree to tree like a monkey because I've procrastinated during the first three weeks (or I was sick, or I got bogged down in client emergencies, or I fell behind binge-watching Major Crimes) then so be it.

And I did.  Monkey-crazy in both in November and in December.  (Though it got better.)

Fresh Start in the New Month Feels Great

Here's the thing, though:  this means that I have hit two months without that burden of knowing I've got stuff on my plate from the prior month that still has to be done.

In my little Reba World, that has been an amazing feeling.  I like it.

So, I'm going to keep having my Monkey Week each month in 2016.  And I'm looking forward to discovering what the heck I will do with myself if I hit that last week, and I don't have a bunch of stuff to do because I already got it done.  Wowzer, that's gonna be great.

Maybe this will work for you too, if you tend to procrastinate like me.

Tip on Finding the Time To Write That Blog Post

Blog posts are more than tweets or likes - you have to find a topic and spend some time writing at least a paragraph or two.  This is true when you're writing a personal journal type of blog.  If you're writing another kind of blog -- informational, research-oriented, etc. then it means even more involvement.

Which I discuss with my lawyer clients regularly because if it isn't a panic on finding something to write about, it's about finding the time to write the post (let's not even get started on the comments).  Here's something that helps: a timer.

That's right.  A timer.  Any old kitchen timer will do, as will the one on your phone or your watch (ahem).  However, here's one that I really like because it appears onscreen at the bottom of your window:  FocusBooster.

FocusBooster is free.  It's a part of a larger time management technique that you may find helpful (many do) but for now, I have to say that downloading FocusBooster and having that little timer bar counting down the seconds as you are typing away keeps you ... well ... FOCUSED.

It alarms at 25 minutes.  Then you get a 5 minute count.  Once that dings, you've got to restart FocusBooster.

The beauty of FocusBooster is that if you play your cards right, you'll hit that green square and get going, and before 25 minutes are up, voila!  Another post on your blog.

Try it.  According to Lifehacker, it's the most popular software of its kind out there right now. 

Notepad is a Great Kindle App

Notepad is a note taking tool for Kindle. It only costs 99 cents, and it's worth much more than a buck.

Why is Notepad so good?

It's fast. It's roomy. It's great when you're reading in your e-reader and you want to note something - whether it's from the book, or whether it's got nothing to do with the text you're reading.

Here's an example.  It's long past midnight.  I'm reading along in Grisham, and suddenly the thought pops up that I need to check that FedEx delivery: did it arrive? When was the deadline again?

Of course, Notepad is just as ready for you to jot down items for the grocery list or your calendar (anniversary, birthday) as it is something work-related.

Why is this better than the notepad in your nightstand drawer?

Notepad via Kindle allows you to take these notes and put them on your computer (and vice versa).  Plus, if you don't have that pad and paper next to the bed, Notepad means you don't have to get up and search for stuff. 

It's proven to be handy for me in my writing and I think you might find Notepad useful, too.

Getting Stuff Done: Learning Your Distractions and Taking Control of Them

This isn't news, but I've discovered that working as a writer is so very different from working as a lawyer.  For example:

• The deadlines are much more self-imposed (e.g, daily word count).  
• It's a solitary endeavor  (no high heels. Heck, no shoes ...).
• I can work most any place (home, Starbucks, a park bench).

Which means that very quickly, I've learned how much willpower I've really got -- and I've discovered powerful, subtle temptations that regularly keep me from meeting my word count.  The fridge, the TV: sure - but it's much more than that.  It's a pattern of distractions that is undermining me. 

Psychologists Study Willpower.  Duh.

I went surfing around the web, and discovered psychologists study willpower.  Who knew, right?  Which is wonderful:  I want to know what they've found, and incorporate it into my daily routine. 

Is there a secret weapon against procrastination?  Against stopping to watch TV and get a snack every afternoon, at the exact same time?  That @#$#$@#$ Ina Garten show is on every weekday afternoon at four.  Damn her.

Metcalfe and Mischel Study - 1999 (pdf here)

One thing I found was a study done in 1999 [1] that divides willpower into two motivations: hot and cold.  Hot motivators are fueled by fear and anxiety (which brings back memories of impending filing deadlines from my lawyer days) as well as good stuff.  Hot motivation is controlled by outside stimuli that spark your reaction.  The study labels hot motivation as the "go" system. 

I think that I have a lot of hot motivation.  This is not sexy at all. 

Cold motivators are different.  Cold motivation is the "know" system in the study's vernacular.  It's your willpower, baby. 

Fortunately, I can look back over my past successes and comfort myself that I apparently have quite a bit of cold motivation, too.  Whew. 

The Psychology Behind Distractions

To get the job done, I can't fall prey to all the distractions that tempt me away from my task at hand.  As I write this post, I'm fighting a war against distractions.  External and internal, they've been categorized. 

The neighbor's dog barking is external.  The thought of making a fresh pot of tea now rather than later is internal. An image of the Veggie Sub on Flatbread from Subway floats through my mind.  These can all veer me off my path - no!!!  I have to ignore them, and keep typing.

In their study, Metcalfe and Mischel describe what I'm doing right now as exercising my willpower.  Wo Nellie.  Good for me. 

Willpower, Self-Control: What It Is

Of course, they describe this in their psychological way:  what I'm doing is exercising my ability to inhibit my impulsive behavior in order to fulfill my commitment to myself, which right now is to get this post written, finalized, and published. 

In the long-term, that willpower might be labelled "self-control."  In the Bible, self-control is a gift given to us by God [2].  In the study, they delve into self-control (over the long haul) as having three characteristics:

• it's mental and intellectual (not emotional);
• you have more as you age, hopefully - self-control is a sign of maturity (babies don't have much if any of this); and 
• (warning Will Robinson!) self-control is vulnerable to stress.  

Stress is Kryptonite to Self-Control

So far, so good.  All of this makes sense to me.  I'm still looking for information that I can use as tools to help me get all my stuff done.  I found some.

1.  Planning is Very, Very Important

They tell us that for self-control to be powerful, you have to rely upon the tools of planning as well as memory, which work together to "...keep the goals in mind while pursuing them and monitoring progress along the route."  So that old adage, "those who fail to plan, plan to fail," appears to have a scientific support, right?

For me, this means that I need to get a better handle not just on my daily to-do list, but on my one-year plan, five-year plan, even ten-year plan.  It will help me get the things done today that I need to do. 

It's true:  when I don't have my task list at my side, I am easily distracted.  It's just sad how easily I'm distracted, in fact -- and I won't even admit to the ridiculous things that have successfully tempted me away from my keyboard.  My purchase history at QVC speaks for itself. 

2.  Actions that Reduce Stress Are Also Valuable

The study also recognizes that stress can sneak in and weaken your resolve.  It's easier for those hot motivators to win if you're weak.  No news there.  So, it comes back to avoiding stress.  Really?  Grrrr. 

Find some stress reduction techniques that work, they suggest.  Plan for stress and be ready to beat it.  This I can do. 

For me, walking the dogs comes to mind immediately.  Even a short walk is good -- gets me out and moving for a bit and provides the added stress reduction of watching how happy the pups are to do this.  There's nothing so fun as seeing your dog jump up five feet in the air at the question "wanna go for a walk?" -- never gets old.

3.  Hooray!! Rewards!!! 

Get this: the researchers not only suggest rewards, they've got two kinds.  I'm really pumped now.  There are the Large Late Rewards (LLRs) and the Small Early Rewards (SERs).  I cannot tell you how much I love this.  However, there's bad news with the good news:  it appears that a small reward now may turn into a distraction.  You gotta be careful about giving yourself rewards.

For me, I find that giving myself little rewards when tasks are done (particularly ones that I despise) seems juvenile, but it works for me.  So sue me, I'm immature in my mature assertion of self-control.  Sometimes they are things, sometimes they are things I get to do. 

The Large Late Rewards are the Big Deals.  You get that article published, for example.  The researchers report that those should have big treats to go with them, or you'll get waylaid by distractions -- you'll find a reward for yourself in television, ice cream, tequilla, something ... if you don't consciously acknowledge your major achievement. 

What I'm Taking From This -- Plans and Rewards

Okey dokey.  From this, I'm going to stop and take the time to go over my business plan, my marketing plan, etc. as well as set up a list of real rewards, tied to goals being met.  Much more formal than my usual approach, but this makes sense to me.  (Businesses do this, too: bonuses, profit sharing, etc., and I may incorporate some of their tactics to my writing world.)  And after I get this all done, I'm going to go get a Frap ... as my reward.

[1] Metcalfe, J., & Mischel, W. (1999). A hot/cool system analysis of delay of gratification: Dynamics of willpower. Psychological Review, 106, 3-19.

[2] 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV ("...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.")

William Safire's Rules of Great Writing

I love these Great Rules for Writing by William Safire, since they each exemplify the rule itself.  Fun stuff:

Do not put statements in the negative form.

And don't start sentences with a conjunction.

If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.

Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.

Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.

De-accession euphemisms.

If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.

Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.

Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.


-- QuoteGarden

Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 - Highly Recommend It, 99% Accuracy

I'm getting an updated version of Dragon Naturally Speaking today (version 10) for $30.00.  I highly recommend this product, earlier versions have been a big help to me for several years now.  I'm looking forward to its additional features (skipping between apps., etc.), and the fact that today it's being offered at 70% off the regular price is just a wonderful gift for the new year. 

How do I use speech to text software?

I use an older version of Dragon Naturally Speaking (speech-to-text software) for writing first drafts, as well as a great aid in researching - and organizing my thoughts - accompanied by OneNote.  It's been my experience that 99% accuracy isn't always true, 95%-97% is my usual result.  And that's not bad - spell/grammar check via Word, and the job of correcting those errors is done fast enough. 

Why use voice recognition software?

It's best use for me is saving time.  I get more done by accompanying my typing (I do type fast) with speech to text software.  I'm thinking that the ability to use DNS 10's additional applications will only streamline things even more. 

However, being able to produce a document without the use of a keyboard or mouse is very beneficial to those with carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, etc. and lots of folks with these physical hurdles swear by DNS. 

For all the details on this speech recognition software, check out my post today on Everyday Simplicity and the glowing review that the software package received at PCWorld.

Writing and Thinking

A paperweight sits on my desk, I read it often: " 'Good writing is clear thinking made visible,' Bill Wheeler."

Perhaps the best example I've seen in a long while is the recent - and controversial - essay by playwright/poet/screenwriter David Mamet in the Village Voice, "Why I Am No Longer a Brain Dead Liberal."

Read it - not so much for political reasons, you may or may not agree with him, but for writing ones. It's worth your time.