Writing Advice from the Masters: Jim Collins

Feb 15, 2012 | Better Writing

Jim Collins has authored or co-authored several business best sellers. While there are observers who have criticized his research and claims, everyone agrees that most business readers love his books and get value from them.

Collins’ most recent book, co-authored with Morten Hansen, is Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck–Why Some Thrive Despite Them All. If you click over to the Amazon page for that book and scroll down, you’ll find “Jim Collins on the Writing Process.” Here’s an excerpt.

“I quickly learned that I had to discover my own methods. Most useful, I realized that I have different brains at different times of day. In the morning, I have a creative brain; in the evening, I have a critical brain. If I try to edit in the morning, I’m too creative, and if I try to create in the evening, I’m too critical. So, I go at writing like a two piston machine: create in the morning, edit in the evening, create in the morning, edit in the evening …”

You have to find the time and the rhythm that work best for you. For me, the morning is “Sacred Writing Time.” In the afternoons I need to do tasks that require physical activity or human contact. Evenings are good for preparation. What works best for you?

Want more? Check out the complete list of Advice from the Masters posts.