The Luxury of Time
February 12, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
When tackling a project that requires writing, one cardinal rule stands out -- start early.
During the new year’s holiday, I started working on a piece concerning the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for Krell’s Korner. Krell’s Korner is my column in the New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Journal. The piece about the memorial will appear in the Fall-Winter 2010 issue.
The deadline is May 21st.
During the massive snowstorm that hit the East Coast on Wednesday, I finished the first draft. I also completed a double-check of the footnotes against the format rules in A Uniform System of Citation (18th Edition), a.k.a. The Bluebook.
The Bluebook has a rule for every type of citation in a legal brief, legal memorandum, or law review article. The EASL Journal follows the law review citation requirements.
So, just a few tweaks for another draft and I can send the column to my editor for comments.
That’s one approach.
But I will use the next couple of months to do the following three things.
First, I will send the draft to some potential interviewees for the column with the luxury of time to respond. The column will stand alone, but interviews will enhance it. If I give myself a deadline to get the interviews by April 1st, I will have six weeks to get the interviews and, in a worst case scenario, another six weeks to incorporate the new information into the column.
Second, I will take a break from the column for a couple of weeks because absence makes the editorial mind grow sharper. After a break, I will see areas for improvement that I did not see during the adrenaline rush of writing.
Third, I will work on other projects. Now that the first draft is finished, I have the time, attention, and energy to focus on looking for consulting projects and a full-time position. I can also practice for my Stop Writing Like A Lawyer™that I’m hosting on February 25th at my alma mater -- Villanova Law School in Villanova, Pennsylvania. In May, I’m moderating a writing workshop at the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting in Boston.
Start early. Give yourself the luxury of time.
david@davidkrell.com
When tackling a project that requires writing, one cardinal rule stands out -- start early.
During the new year’s holiday, I started working on a piece concerning the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for Krell’s Korner. Krell’s Korner is my column in the New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Journal. The piece about the memorial will appear in the Fall-Winter 2010 issue.
The deadline is May 21st.
During the massive snowstorm that hit the East Coast on Wednesday, I finished the first draft. I also completed a double-check of the footnotes against the format rules in A Uniform System of Citation (18th Edition), a.k.a. The Bluebook.
The Bluebook has a rule for every type of citation in a legal brief, legal memorandum, or law review article. The EASL Journal follows the law review citation requirements.
So, just a few tweaks for another draft and I can send the column to my editor for comments.
That’s one approach.
But I will use the next couple of months to do the following three things.
First, I will send the draft to some potential interviewees for the column with the luxury of time to respond. The column will stand alone, but interviews will enhance it. If I give myself a deadline to get the interviews by April 1st, I will have six weeks to get the interviews and, in a worst case scenario, another six weeks to incorporate the new information into the column.
Second, I will take a break from the column for a couple of weeks because absence makes the editorial mind grow sharper. After a break, I will see areas for improvement that I did not see during the adrenaline rush of writing.
Third, I will work on other projects. Now that the first draft is finished, I have the time, attention, and energy to focus on looking for consulting projects and a full-time position. I can also practice for my Stop Writing Like A Lawyer™that I’m hosting on February 25th at my alma mater -- Villanova Law School in Villanova, Pennsylvania. In May, I’m moderating a writing workshop at the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting in Boston.
Start early. Give yourself the luxury of time.