Have you always wanted to put your thoughts and ideas in writing but were not sure exactly how to do to this? Follow these seven simple steps and before you know it, you'll have a body of work of which you can be proud!
1. Make a list of 4-5 topics that are of interest to you
Do not stop to judge them. Do not wonder if a million other people have already written about them. This is about you and your process, nothing else. Try to get your list done within 10 minutes. This list is a springboard – you're not making any commitment just yet.
2. Freestyle
Choose one topic from your list and then take 5-10 minutes to write down a few thoughts you have about that topic. Write down whatever comes to mind and do NOT edit yourself. Do not worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation, or even if your thoughts are valid. Your goal should be 3-4 thoughts or ideas related to your topic.
3. Speed Research
Take the next 5-10 minutes to search the Internet for material related to your topic. Look for scholarly articles that contain actual data or research about your topic. Do not worry if what you find does not mesh with what you wrote during your freestyling; just see what's out there. When you come across information that you find interesting, copy down a few points, making sure to include information on the author (we all deserve and can expect credit for our work, and plagiarism is more than just frowned upon).
4. Redo
Go back to your freestyle writing and re-read it. Go slowly, reading over each sentence individually. Now is the time for editing. Imagine that you are reading someone else's work. Would it make sense to you? Does it sound like something you'd read in a newspaper article or your favorite magazine? We all have a natural intuition about how something we read should sound in our heads – use that. Take the time to craft each sentence so that it's both grammatically correct as well as "reader-friendly." Rinse and repeat this process for each sentence.
5. Meld
Look over the notes you made during your speed research session. Does anything support your own thoughts or enhance them? Include whatever information you gathered, making sure to cite the author. If you find that none of the research you noted really works for your own thoughts, then scrap it. Your ideas have every right to stand alone.
6. Phone a Friend
There's nothing like a fresh pair of eyes and another perspective to really let you know if you're on the right track. Ask someone you trust and which opinion you value to read what you've written. Ask them these questions only:
1. Was this interesting?
2. Did you learn something new?
3. Would you suggest this to someone else?
NOTE: Do NOT ask your reader for content suggestions.
7. Final Edit
Take what you've written from step 5 (Meld) and read it once again, now keeping in mind the feedback you got from your proofreader. Make any changes you feel would make what you've written stronger, more interesting, and grammatically correct. Ask yourself the same 3 questions that you asked your proofreader. Trust your gut instinct! If something sounds "off" to you, it probably is, so try phrasing it differently. A thesaurus is an invaluable tool – do not be afraid to use it. http://www.thesaurus.com is a great user-friendly site where you can quickly find just the right word to strengthen what you've written. It also helps if you have a tendency to repeat words.
Are you the next Hemingway? Nobody is, nor should you try to be!
But, with practice and repetition of this process (taking as much time as you need with each step), your writing skills will improve to the point where these steps are second nature. Whether or not you publish something you've written or if you're the only person on earth who reads your work, make no mistake about it – you ARE a writer!
The post 7 Steps to Great Writing – A Rinse and Repeat Process for Building a Body of Work appeared first on Tica Tica Boom.
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