Templates

It's Monday afternoon down in good old New Zealand as I write this post, about seven to two o'clock if you must know.

For the last fifty minutes I have been staring at a google doc in an attempt to write a generic email as a template, and am writing this blog post instead. Yeah, ok... it is Monday afternoon and thereafter that means I ought to be working. Yes, true that. But I technically work part-time and from home. So there. Anyway, truth be told it'll be a while before this post will be written (considering it's just after half past two, and I just finished my second coffee for the day).

Templates.

All one has to do is just google the word "template" and you will have thousands of options, from business related forms for minute writing to what goes where in a quality manual. You can get templates on novel writing as well.

Not that I'm against it of course.

Templates and standardised forms are essential for any growing business. I am certain that certain authors have a standard email or two to respond to eager fans, that or a secretary.

I'm not ditching the fact that there are people who specialise in formatting things for writers, considering that it is one thing to create a piece of literature from zilch. Not everyone is that design savvy either, and every bit helps really.

Businesses certainly do, as is evident at work. But the trick is keeping these things personal. And that is the trick. I cringe every time I get a standardised letter for this or that, as it is factual and generally makes me feel like a case number and not a human being. The fact that I'm the primary go between the guys at work and our customers I endeavour to keep things personal wherever possible.

How about you, what are your thoughts on templates and forms?