In writing this most recent project I find myself overwhelmed with research. My laptop agrees with me. I closed 25 windows this morning and I still have a dozen left open. This is all for a 4000 word section of a larger document. I mean dang, how much is my writing and how much is just me streamlining the research?
I have a problem with word count that is always going to exist. I cannot pull a Steven Erikson and just add 1000 more pages because I want to share more of the story. This doc needs to pull together all the research and concisely spit out useful information on what to do with the information I am sharing. That feels daunting because it is. Beyond which I am highly conscious of how I design language in these situations (specifically the use of and in listing format and compound phrasing) and (yeah, I see it) I want to make sure I do not fall into these language routines.
So, I have a lot going on in this latest bit of work. The key of it is how to utilize the research. What I think I am learning is that research generally points to an idea, theme, or greater understanding, and that is what I need to be unleashing in the text. There is space for lists, but that is not the main point. It is a sidenote and there is space for that too.
Some Thoughts:
- If I could find a way to directly apply the ten minute rule to a tough HITT-style workout routine conducted up to three times a day, I would unlock the key to physical fitness.
- Obviously, I haven’t. The facts are out there–I just need to put it together in a way that makes sense, because working out is not just working out. You sweat and your body feels like it caught a beating after those ten minutes, so the time really starts to add up. Suddenly 10 is 30+