Vassallo - How to Write Fast Under Pressure

How to
Write Fast
UNDER PRESSURE

Philip Vassallo

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Vassallo, Philip.
How to write fast under pressure / Philip Vassallo.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8144-1485-9
ISBN-10: 0-8144-1485-0
1. Business writing. 2. Authorship. I. Title.

HF5718.3.V368 2010
651.74dc22

2009011228

2010 Philip Vassallo.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.

This publication may not be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in whole or in part,
in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of AMACOM,
a division of American Management Association,
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Printing number

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Elizabeth Vassallo-DeLuca:

daughter, sister, wife, friend,
creator, organizer, adviser, healer

:

DASHGetting to the Task

:

DirectionHitting the Ground Running

:

AccelerationWriting on the Fly

:

StrengthStanding Fast in the Midst of Chaos

:

HealthPlanning for the Unexpected

:

DASHKeeping a Fresh Approach

Writers must be solitary creatures when plying their trade, yet they do so as human beings. They are social animals. The kind of work I do as a writer requires me to spend hours alone, and the work I do as a teacher demands that I spend an equal amount of time in contact with students who, for the most part, will end their relationship with me the second the course is over. Since the activities that consume most of my time do not fulfill my desire to be in the company of people with whom I share an enduring relationship, the folks I write about here cannot imagine how grateful I am to have had them involved with me during my work on this book.

From the American Management Association (AMA), I am first indebted to Richard Bradley, Portfolio Manager extraordinaire, without whom this book would not even have been on my radar screen. He asked me to design a new AMA course titled How to Write Fast When Its Due Yesterday. Richards visionary approach to almost everything he does, his respect for everyone he meets, and his playfulness about every place he finds himself make him a unique soul. I thank him for the nourishment of his faith in my knowledge and in my ability to get the job done. I am also grateful for Ellen Kadin, Executive Editor of AMACOM Books, who gave me the green light for this book. Her approval has been encouraging and her patience downright inspiring. William R. Helms III, AMACOM Editorial Assistant, offered numerous suggestions for improving both the substance and style of this book. Working with him made me comfortable in knowing that some ambiguity would be clarified, clichs would be nuanced, and miscues would be caught. Copy editor Jerilyn Famighetti proved invaluable during the line editing phase of the production process. Her ability to strike a balance between grammatical convention and elegant expression made this book better than it would otherwise have been. My appreciation also goes to Ed Fields, longtime AMA faculty member and professor of financial management at Baruch College, who graciously introduced me to AMA and whose influence got me in the door.

Needless to say, many others outside AMA have contributed to this book as well. I am indebted to my wife, Georgia, for everything Ive been able to do since we met in 1975. She has played a huge part in all of it. Where those things went well, I know she was there; where things didnt go as planned, if only I had relied more on her amazing insights. My older daughter, Elizabeth De-Luca, to whom I dedicate this book, and my son-in-law, Dr. Darrow DeLuca, are always a visit away if I want the education that their medical studies can offer or the inspiration that their everloving kindness can bring. My younger daughter, Helen Vassallo, a music educator, performer, composer, conductor, and artist, continues to amaze me with her capacity for hard work and her insight into the human condition. To my sister, Elizabeth Hitz, who was and always will be my first English teacher, what can I say for all the good you have brought to my life? How thankful I am for the life of Danielle Babo, who proofread several of my manuscripts for me as I prepared this book. In her brief time in the flesh, she extended my definition of courage, and her spiritual presence continues to inspire me.

To the countless students who have challenged me to come up with better solutions to their writing problems, the numerous writers and teachers who have educated me in finding those solutions, and the organizations that have asked me to provide those solutionswhere would I be without you?

Y oure at your desk writing a proposal for a key clienta project your boss has just dumped on you and that was due yesterday because he sat on it all week. Meanwhile, all you can think of is that sales report your bosss boss expects on her desk from you by the end of the business day. You cant finish that project because one of your teammates hasnt run the month-end operating expenses that you need to analyze in the report. The e-mail inbox shows 14 new messages in the past 20 minutes. The electricians are snaking cable through the ceiling tiles, conjuring the image of a pack of rats burrowing through an overhead tunnel. Someone walks past you with his mobile phone blaring the William Tell Overture. Two colleagues whose work areas are nowhere near yours have decided to set up camp right in front of your area to argue over what picture should win the next Academy Award. Its past two oclock and you havent eaten anything all day. It doesnt help that a nagging migraine makes your head feel like its going to explode. The computer monitor becomes increasingly blurred. An incoming fax screeches its way through the machine rollers. The photocopier down the hall is pounding incessantly. The road department is drilling on the street right outside your window, and youre sure the vibration of those jackhammers rates at least a 7.0 on the Richter Scale. An incoherent announcement screaming through the intercomsomething about ignoring the intermittent howling of the fire alarmmakes you imagine some infathomable fingernail torture. In come 11 more e-mailsmost of which youre sure have nothing to do with you, but which you must open just in case they are for you. You remember that you have to get back to two vendors, three clients, and four teammates about a major engagement that affects everyones timeline. A manager saunters by and says, Since you seem to have some time on your hands, would you mind helping me carry these cartons into the storage room? Before you can indignantly say, Excuse me, in walks a vice president asking, Do you have a copy of yesterdays meeting review? I cant seem to find mine. You turn beet red and erupt in a primal howl: Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!