ENC 3250, Professional Writing Assignment 4 Productivity Tips Week 7 Summer 2015 Posted 25 June 2015 University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee Length of this lecture audio: 00:25:05 Jot down the three Week 7 audio codes -- you will be sending those with the codes for the Week 8 and 9 lectures with Assignment 4 by July 13, 2015 © 2015, T. E. Roberts, Instructor

ENC 3250, Professional Writing - Summer Week 7 - Slide 1 of 7 Week 8 Agenda Pacing yourself Don’t think of the finished product (yet) Be creative This is not a chore but an opportunity You need a schedule Helpful resources

ENC 3250, Professional Writing - Summer Week 7 - Slide 2 of 7 Pacing Yourself Work in one- to two-hour sessions Keep your mind open to ideas as you are at your job, doing other schoolwork, talking or texting to friends, relaxing at the beach or on the boat, Facebooking, reading, watching TV, surfing the net Carry a small notebook + pen or audio recorder with you at all times Look for unexpected links between your topic and your everyday observations -- curiosity and alertness are essential to learning!

ENC 3250, Professional Writing - Summer Week 7 - Slide 3 of 7 Don’t Worry Yet About Finished Product Approach your assignment the way a movie director films scenes -- in the order that makes most sense financially and logistically As in a movie or stage production, it is the final assembly, editing, and polishing that determine results “Logic” does not necessarily mean lockstep, one-two- three linear order Ideas are generated, captured, refined, edited, and articulated in mysterious, unpredictable ways Let your ideas grow organically rather than forcing them into a rigid pattern

ENC 3250, Professional Writing - Summer Week 7 - Slide 4 of 7 Business Documents (and Professionals) Should Be Creative! Some students majoring in business or professions feel vaguely ashamed about the dullness of their career choice Regardless of the world’s opinion, there is no greater art or creativity in human life than to analyze, understand, and invent business ideas or solve business problems Business also produces (or can produce) results of great value to society in general They don’t call it “show business” for nothing!

ENC 3250, Professional Writing - Summer Week 7 - Slide 5 of 7 Assignment 4 Is an Opportunity Why do so many students dread an “English paper”? Because in most of their courses, they have been asked to write on topics that have no bearing on their lives or careers, using language that has little relevance to reality Assignment 4 calls for clear thinking, logical organization, and articulate writing about ideas and results that matter in your career

ENC 3250, Professional Writing - Summer Week 7 - Slide 6 of 7 You Need A Schedule Try to complete the equivalent of at least one double- spaced page every day by Thursday, July 9. By then, you will have 14 draft pages completed. [These dates differ from what you will hear in the audio!] Now you have something to EDIT, not just worry about! A writer’s most important job is thinking, planning, and editing -- this process lets you clarify and support your ideas in concrete, concise words for your reader. The original writing itself is only about 30 percent of the job.

ENC 3250, Professional Writing - Summer Week 7 - Slide 7 of 7 Helpful Resources You are not alone in this task Contact me via for help at any time Talk to peers, business professors, librarians, co-workers, friends, family... even your boss! Keep your mind open to relevant information on TV, radio, the internet, and in newspapers, magazines, and everyday conversation Write the draft quickly without censoring yourself “Once I got into the research, I was amazed at how quickly I was able to prepare my draft. The paper just seemed to write itself after I cleared away the clutter and focused on the main idea.” -- an ENC 3250 student (this is a real quote, not one your instructor invented!)