I Wrote This in Under an Hour.
Here’s a fast path to go from idea to article.
When you want to turn your ideas into compelling writing, you might feel a lot of energy, emotion, and raw power inside.
But it takes practice not to lose all of that in translation to the page (or screen).
I always had a knack for writing, but years doing it professionally have taught me strategies I had no clue about when I was younger.
I look back at old pieces and cringe a little. And I may feel the same about my current work in another five or ten years (or next week).
That’s okay, life is about growth and learning. All we can do is our best, and keep making that a little better.
Here’s a simple process to boost the speed and quality of your writing.
- Make a plan for your piece.
In a previous life, I worked in construction. There was always a plan, and from the plan, we would build a foundation and a frame.
For writing, if your plan isn’t formed enough in your mind to create an outline, start with a braindump. Just let the words come out until there’s nothing more to add.
Then create an outline. Just a simple list of bullets — that’s all you need to begin a piece, whether it’s an article or a book.
