I’ve only been writing professionally for a little more than 6 months now, but in that time I have developed a writing process that truly works for me. Since I work from home and spend my days taking care of my two little ones and cleaning my house, it is important for me to have a speedy process. I don’t have the time to spend several hours on a single blog post, nor on a shorter article for my freelance business. With these steps, my writing process has been made faster, better, and much less stressful!
Starting the Writing Process: Choose a Topic
My blog post topics are written out weeks in advance. I have lists of ideas that I can choose from for a specific date, or if something is on my mind, I sub out a planned idea for the new one. When it comes to writing for others, my clients generally have the topics already decided upon. My most frequent customer has a list that I get to choose from while my others tend to give me the title of the article they need to be written. Taking away the choice makes things simpler, but it doesn’t necessarily make things faster.
The topics that I choose are topics that I am more passionate about, which makes the writing process go so much smoother. When I am interested in the topic at hand, I don’t have to force myself to write. Forced writing can sometimes come through in the words on the page and deters from the overall quality. So, remember to choose a topic that you are truly interested in writing about.
Jot Down Ideas as They Come
Throughout the day I am busy with other things, so my writing is something that I do at night. After a long day, it can be hard to remember what I had planned on including in my article. I keep my notebook handy to jot down any ideas as I have them. That way, I don’t have some sort of genius breakthrough and forget about it by the time I sit down to write.
Write Out the Section Headers First
Like any piece of writing, my articles and posts have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion or call to action. While an outline can be a good idea for a more complex piece, usually I can get away with just choosing the section headers and going from there. Once I know exactly what is going to be in the body portion, I can easily draft an introduction that gets the ball rolling. It makes life so much easier!
Introductory Paragraph
Creating a captivating introductory paragraph starts with something that will grab the attention of the reader. If the first sentence is good, it is likely that the reader will continue. At the very least, they will skim. In a formal article, I make sure to mention each idea that will be presented in the body. Blog posts are less structured for me, so I’m more concerned with introducing the topic itself.
Writing Process for the Body
Although the body is the biggest portion of any writing process, it is also the easiest if you know what you’re talking about. Follow the headers you’ve written. Introduce the idea of each paragraph in the first sentence. Describe it. When you break it down like this, it is simple.
Conclusion Portion of the Writing Process
A conclusion0. for a structured article is simple enough. You should repeat the main idea of the entire article. Then, remind the reader of each point made in the body. Finally, close it out with a final statement. In a blog post, however, readers don’t necessarily want the structure. This is why I stick with a call to action instead. This simply means to get the reader to engage or do something.
Other Writing Process Tips
Always be ready to go when you sit down to write. I’ve made the mistake of forgetting something prior to sitting down. Then I have to get up and get out of the writing headspace. It usually steals precious minutes from my writing time.
Have water or coffee handy when writing. Staying hydrated or caffeinated during the writing process is critical to staying on track. You don’t want to have to take an unnecessary break during those few hours you have to work.
Find the background noise (or silence) that works for you. I’ve learned that I’m most productive with instrumental music as my background. If I have to work while my son is awake, his noises and needs make me far less productive. The TV is often more a distraction than a help. Whatever works for you should be identified and used wisely!
What about you? Do you have an established writing process? Is there something that works for me that doesn’t work for you? Let’s chat about it in the comments!