http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:40:29 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This is one of my favorite pieces of work, and I'm glad to finally have it published. I wrote it over a year ago. Read it here. (P.S. I'm currently on a work vacation in Jodhpur. Work, because the people I'm with are working. Vacation, because I'm not. I'll be ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/24/orato-jul08/ “You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you’re working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success—but only if you ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/24/tough-sell/ Have you ever noticed how writing a 500-word piece requires pretty much the same amount of research that you’d do for a 2,000-word one? I started picking up some quick, low-paying work recently that would (supposedly) take very little time but would pay well enough to keep some bills paid. Except ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/23/perfection/ 1. Try freewriting. One of the most effective ways of making that internal editor shut up is timed freewriting. Set an egg timer for about five minutes, and write anything that comes to mind. While this is something you might not want to do for specific projects, it is something ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/22/inner-critic/ Ingredients: 1. A DVD of any season of 24. 2. Popcorn or potato chips, preferably both. 3. A steady supply of hot or cold beverages, preferably both. 4. Sixteen hours of free time. 5. Great company. Steps: 1. Dim or turn off the lights. 2. Find a comfortable spot. 3. Play back-to-back episodes of the whole season, getting up only for tea or bathroom ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/21/perfect-weekend/ I’m not a fast writer. In fact, I’m a ridiculously slow one. But lately, I’ve picked up a weekly column, a daily deadline, and another blog, so I’ve had to increase the speed of output. Here’s what’s been working for me. 1. Write. Then revise. Instead of making that first paragraph brilliant ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/20/speed/ “Always there will be, along the sidelines of life, inferior souls who throw mud at those whose attainments they do not quite understand. The man who really accomplishes doesn’t pay attention to such detractors. If he did, he’d be on their level. He keeps an eye singled on the higher ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/19/quote-4/ I gave in. Another addiction in the bag. http://twitter.com/mridukhullar   http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/18/twitter/ I’ve been having those near-perfect weeks when everything seems to be in harmony. A day of intense work followed by a night of peaceful sleep. A week of productivity and a weekend of absolutely nothing but fun. A tough assignment rewarded with a night out (and a quick paycheck!). It’s the ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/17/balance-2/ *These tools are all free for download.*   1. Google Desktop Ever had a moment where you're trying to find a particular essay or article or news piece that you just knew you stored somewhere? You don't remember where you saved the damn thing, and since it was untitled, you can't remember what the file ... http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/2008/07/16/tools/