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How improv techniques will change the way you write
Below is a tell-tale description of a common style of scientific writing—used not only by philosophers and sociologists, but also by many scientists from all disciplines. In his book “Writing with power: techniques for mastering the writing process,” Peter Elbow tells us: “One thinks about modern academics, especially philosophers and sociologists. Their language is often voiceless and without power because it is so utterly cut off from experience and things. There is no sense of words carrying experiences, only of reflecting relationships between other words or between “concepts.” There is no sense of an actual self seeing a thing or having an experience… Sociology—by its very nature?—seems to be…
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Free writing: an essential component of your communication toolbox
“You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block.”― John Rogers Yes, but how? Enter free writing. You try it, you love it—it happens to about everyone. It’s one of the best tools you can have in your communication toolbox. It will keep your “inner censor” quiet and it will take you into a state of flow. How does it work? Write down whatever comes to your mind, quickly. Don’t worry about your thoughts, just write them down exactly as they come to you. Do it with no expectations and without judgment. It takes only a few minutes for free writing…