Excessive action

Phew. I’m a bit worn out. Sometimes I like to include a resource with my exercises. Right now I’m trying to put together a list of the first 20 principles of the TRIZ inventive problem solving system. I’m focusing on how they can solve problems and contradictions in one’s writing process.

1. Segmentation

Break down a system or object into smaller, independent parts to improve its functionality, adaptability, or solve problems.

• Writing is exhausting. I want to write more each session, but overexertion makes me less likely to start a session next time. I can use timeboxing to break my session into shorter sessions with breaks in between.
• I’m not writing enough. I might end sessions based on feeling spent, or at natural breaks in the story, but then the project runs too long. Use page or word-count quotas to make sure you are keeping pace.

This is what I want each section to look like. I’m working with Claude 3 right now to put this together, but it doesn’t produce exactly what I want so even with its help I’ll need to do a lot of editing. Ultimately, I may give up and use the simplified list I’m working from. I already spent several hours last night developing this first list.

20 TRIZ principles applied to writing process design

1. Segmentation: Divide the writing process into manageable parts. Examples include setting daily word count goals or using timeboxing techniques to limit writing sessions.

2. Extraction: Isolate essential elements of the writing process. For instance, writing with simpler tools like pen and paper or a basic word processor to minimize distractions.

3. Local Quality: Tailor the writing schedule to match daily variations in energy and engagement. Adjust writing session lengths based on the time available each day.

4. Asymmetry: Modify the structure of writing sessions to be less symmetrical. Plan shorter sprints at the beginning and end of a session, when you might be warming up or winding down.

5. Merging or Combination: Integrate different parts of the writing process strategically. For example, a skeleton draft starts by drafting key dialogues, then returns to flesh out descriptions and actions, forming a complete narrative.

6. Universality: Standardize aspects of the writing process to increase efficiency. Write at consistent times and locations, or utilize common narrative structures and plotting tools like Save The Cat or Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.

7. Nesting: Organize tasks in a hierarchical order. Begin with broad developmental edits and progress through finer details like line and copy edits. Start with an overarching outline and break it down into detailed sub-sections.

8. Anti-weight or Counterweight: Balance intense tasks with lighter activities. Pair challenging writing sessions with relaxing activities like drinking tea or listening to meditative chants to maintain a pleasant and productive workflow.

9. Preliminary Anti-Action or Prior Counteraction: Prepare mentally for difficult tasks. Engage in brainstorming sessions before tackling complex writing passages to activate relevant memories and ideas.

10. Preliminary Action or Prior Action: Perform preparatory tasks to simplify later efforts. Do light edits during writing sessions to ease the burden of future editing of whole manuscripts.

11. Beforehand Cushioning or Cushioning in Advance: Plan for potential disruptions. Establish criteria for what constitutes a necessary interruption and develop strategies for maintaining boundaries and managing writer’s block.

12. Equipotentiality: Ensure flexibility in the writing sequence. Develop a process that allows jumping to any part of the manuscript as inspiration strikes, avoiding bottlenecks.

13. Inversion: Reverse the usual order of tasks. Consider starting the writing process from the end of the story and working backwards to the beginning.

14. Spheroidality: Move away from a linear approach. Adopt a more holistic or circular writing process that may involve revisiting and revising earlier sections continuously.

15. Dynamicity: Adapt the process to current needs and energy levels. Switch to lighter tasks or more enjoyable scenes when energy wanes or when facing reluctance towards certain sections.

16. Partial or Excessive Action: Overproduce initially to ensure ample material. Write extra content at the beginning or end of chapters to provide more options for revision.

17. Another Dimension: Incorporate additional layers or perspectives in planning. Outline chapters or write summaries alongside the draft to maintain a higher-level view of the narrative structure.

18. Mechanical Vibration: Adjust the frequency of writing sessions to maintain momentum. Increase or decrease the number of sessions based on the phase of the project.

19. Periodic Action: Write in defined bursts. Use breaks between these bursts to reflect, revise, or switch tasks, keeping the mind fresh and engaged.

20. Continuity of Useful Action: Focus on maintaining momentum in productive activities. Minimize or eliminate less effective tasks, focusing instead on continuous writing and iterative revisions, as suggested by methodologies like Peter Elbow’s approach to skipping extensive developmental edits in favor of repeated drafting.