David Laing: I'm trying to become a better writer. I'm currently setting a target for the number of words I write a day, and am trying to get into the habit of splitting my time between researching and outlining, writing ugly first drafts, rewriting, and editing. I want to build those habits so I end up with a pipeline with work moving through it reliably. I'm interested in your thoughts on how I should break down and organise these subskills, and how I can drill on these skills with tight feedback loops.
Becoming a better writer requires consistent practice, discipline, and organization. Your plan to develop a pipeline and work on different subskills is a great approach. Here are some recommendations to help you break down and organize these subskills, along with tips for creating tight feedback loops:
Researching and outlining:
Allocate specific time for research and outlining, such as 1-2 hours a day, depending on your overall writing schedule.
Focus on gathering relevant information and organizing it into a coherent structure. Identify the main points and subpoints of your content.
Tight feedback loop: Share your outlines with a writing group, mentor, or friend who can provide feedback. Alternatively, use online platforms like Reddit or writing forums to get input from others.
Writing ugly first drafts:
Set a daily word count goal. You may start with 500 words per day and gradually increase it as you build your writing stamina.
Use a timer to break your writing sessions into smaller chunks (e.g., 25-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks, known as the Pomodoro Technique).
Tight feedback loop: Share your first drafts with a trusted group or writing partner who can provide constructive criticism. Accept that your first drafts will be imperfect and focus on receiving feedback to improve.
Rewriting:
Allocate time for rewriting, possibly 1-2 hours a day, depending on your schedule.
Focus on improving the structure, clarity, and flow of your content. Work on one section at a time, addressing the feedback you received on your first drafts.
Tight feedback loop: Share your revised drafts with the same group or partner who reviewed your first drafts. Ask for feedback on the specific changes you made, and iteratively refine your work.
Editing:
Set aside dedicated time for editing, perhaps 30 minutes to an hour per day.
Focus on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and consistency. You can use grammar and style-checking tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid to help catch errors.
Tight feedback loop: Work with a writing partner or professional editor to review your work. They can help you identify recurring issues and provide targeted feedback to improve your editing skills.
General tips:
Track your progress by maintaining a writing log, recording your daily word count, and reflecting on your work.
Maintain a consistent writing schedule, treating your writing practice like a job or important appointment.
Read widely to expose yourself to different writing styles, genres, and techniques. Analyze and learn from the work of other writers.
Seek out resources like writing workshops, online courses, and books on writing to sharpen your skills and gain new perspectives.
By regularly practicing these subskills and incorporating feedback loops, you will make steady progress and become a better writer over time.
David Laing: Could I leverage large language models to help with the feedback loops?
Yes, you can leverage large language models like GPT-4 to help with the feedback loops in your writing process. Here are some ways to use language models for each subskill:
Researching and outlining:
Use a language model to generate ideas, suggest resources, or provide summaries of relevant topics. This can help you build a more comprehensive outline.
Writing ugly first drafts:
If you're experiencing writer's block, use a language model to generate content based on your outline or specific prompts. You can then edit and expand upon the generated content, using it as a starting point.
Rewriting:
Share a passage or section of your writing with a language model and ask for suggestions on how to improve the structure, clarity, or flow. Use the suggestions as guidance for your rewriting process.
Editing:
While language models might not be as precise as specialized grammar and style-checking tools, you can still use them to help identify errors or inconsistencies in your writing. You can input a passage and ask the model for help with grammar, punctuation, and other language-related issues.
Keep in mind that while large language models can be a valuable resource for generating ideas and providing feedback, they may not always be perfect or understand the nuances of your specific project. It's essential to combine the input from language models with your judgment, creativity, and feedback from other sources like writing partners, mentors, or professional editors. This will ensure a well-rounded and reliable feedback loop for your writing process.
David Laing: That sounds like a great way to use large language models to help with the process of writing particular articles. Could you devise ways to really intensively drill on these subskills using a large language model, if I was only do it for the training and wasn't concerned with the final output? I'm thinking of a "deliberate practice" style training loop.
Certainly! Deliberate practice involves focusing on specific skills, setting clear goals, and receiving immediate feedback. Using a large language model like GPT-4, you can create deliberate practice loops for each writing subskill:
Researching and outlining:
Practice prompt: Create a prompt with a specific topic or question.
Skill development: Ask the language model for relevant information, sources, or summaries. Analyze the provided information and create an outline for an article or essay.
Immediate feedback: Ask the language model to evaluate your outline or provide alternative outline suggestions. Compare and learn from the differences.
Writing ugly first drafts:
Practice prompt: Use the outline from the previous step or a new topic.
Skill development: Write a short passage or section based on the outline or topic. Focus on expressing your ideas, even if the writing isn't polished.
Immediate feedback: Share your passage with the language model and ask for suggestions on how to improve the content or style. Use the feedback to rewrite the passage.
Rewriting:
Practice prompt: Use the passage from the previous step or a new piece of writing.
Skill development: Rewrite the passage, focusing on improving the structure, clarity, and flow.
Immediate feedback: Share the rewritten passage with the language model and ask for feedback on the improvements. Compare the original and revised versions to understand the changes made.
Editing:
Practice prompt: Use the passage from the previous step or a new piece of writing.
Skill development: Edit the passage for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and consistency. Pay attention to recurring issues and learn to recognize them.
Immediate feedback: Share the edited passage with the language model and ask for any remaining errors or suggestions for improvement. Use the feedback to refine your editing skills.
To make the most of your deliberate practice sessions, consider the following:
Set specific, measurable goals for each subskill.
Practice regularly, with dedicated time for each subskill.
Reflect on your progress and adjust your goals as needed.
Mix in real-world writing projects to apply and reinforce the skills you've developed.
By engaging in deliberate practice with a large language model, you can intensively drill on each subskill, refine your writing abilities, and build a strong foundation for your writing projects.
David Laing: I've noticed you've used my breakdown of the writing process in the above. Is there a better way of diving the writing process into sub-skills? Do any of those sub-skills have sub-sub-skills?
Your breakdown of the writing process into sub-skills is quite comprehensive. However, we can further refine the sub-skills and identify some sub-sub-skills for a more detailed approach to improving your writing:
Researching and outlining:
Identifying relevant sources: Learn to evaluate the credibility and relevance of various sources.
Note-taking: Develop an effective system for organizing and summarizing information.
Critical thinking: Analyze and synthesize information to form your unique perspective.
Creating a structure: Develop the ability to create a coherent and logical structure for your content.
Writing ugly first drafts:
Idea generation: Learn to brainstorm and develop interesting ideas for your writing.
Building a narrative: Develop the ability to create a compelling narrative or argument.
Writing fluently: Enhance your ability to write quickly and express your thoughts clearly.
Overcoming writer's block: Learn techniques to overcome mental barriers and stay productive.
Rewriting:
Revising for clarity: Develop the ability to revise your writing for clarity and conciseness.
Reorganizing content: Enhance your skills in reorganizing sections and paragraphs for optimal flow.
Strengthening arguments: Improve your ability to provide strong evidence and support for your ideas.
Enhancing style and tone: Refine your writing style to better engage your audience and convey your message.
Editing:
Grammar and punctuation: Improve your understanding of grammatical rules and punctuation usage.
Spelling and vocabulary: Enhance your spelling skills and expand your vocabulary.
Consistency: Develop the ability to maintain consistency in style, tone, and formatting throughout your writing.
Proofreading: Improve your attention to detail and the ability to spot and correct errors.
By breaking down the writing process into more specific sub-skills and sub-sub-skills, you can target particular areas that require improvement. You can then apply deliberate practice techniques to each sub-sub-skill, focusing on measurable goals and immediate feedback, to effectively enhance your overall writing ability.