How to start the writing process
Creating content is not a very easy matter for most people. It is common for us to have many things to share with each other, from the most varied subjects, but we do not know how to organize the ideas inside our head and put them on a paper. Sometimes it is not just an idea of ours, but a set of ideas and interesting subjects that we end up consuming daily, and that we would love to share with the people around us. But how to start? How to put on paper a set of ideas that, until then, is spread within our mind?
This text aims to group some tips to start creating interesting content, regardless of the subject. It is important to point out from the beginning that there are no rules, and what works for one person may not work for another. Keep this in mind when you start writing, because overcharging and strictness with the quality of the content can block your creativity!
The first tip for starting the writing process is to decide what you want to write about today. Of course, this choice may not always be made, especially if the content has a deadline for delivery or is something necessary for the performance of your work, or someone else’s work. However, if you have a choice, choose to start writing on a topic that you are eager to explore. Ideas tend to flow and arise more easily if you do that.
Having chosen the subject you are going to write about, the next step is to define if you already have enough knowledge to write about it, or if this subject requires a little more research for the content to be interesting and complete. Not all content needs to be a thesis, and it’s even cool to encourage people to go after more information, but there needs to be a balance between not producing a thesis, and not writing too shallow a text that doesn’t add any information to the person who is reading. If there are any aspects that you do not know well, look for safe sources of information, and save these sources to add in the references at the end of the text.
When you already have the subject in hand, and have mastery of all the things you want to address in this context, make a script. It can be very rudimentary: open a document and start writing. It can be done using common language, writing the way you communicate. Try to stick to the standard structure of a text, so that the content is concise and cohesive, building a story with a beginning, middle and end. A short example of an initial skeleton can be seen below:
As we can see in the image above, in addition to describing what is needed for the text, and the order in which the subjects will appear, you can also add observations (shown in the image within brackets []), so that you can remember where you can make direct links, where to add images, where to exemplify. Once the skeleton is ready, the next step is to start writing the paragraph that you feel most comfortable writing. But before doing that, find a place where you will not have too many interruptions (no matter if silent or noisy, as some minds are more easily concentrated when hearing a rhythmic sound). Then get to work!
In my writing process I always start with the introduction, and then I jump to the conclusion. Once the conclusion is made, it becomes easier to think about what I have to develop to prove the point that I conclude at the end. Many people prefer to start in the middle, where there needs to be a greater wealth of details. Others prefer to follow the introduction — development — conclusion pattern, as they feel as if they are telling a story. There is no secret here, the more you write, the more you will understand where it is easy to start. And when you actually start writing, regardless of the section you started with, keep two things in mind:
- The first version does not have to be anything but a draft with little punctuation. The more perfectionist you are, the more you will stop your writing process, and creativity is a big enemy of tiredness! It is better to write an entire text with some flaws, and improve them later, than to write a perfect paragraph and then give up because of tiredness;
- Writing comes from the heart! That is why you should not stop to correct yourself often, trust writing with your feelings first, and let the logical part act later. Regardless of the subject, writing has a very positive impact on our brain and allows us to express ourselves in ways that we didn’t think possible;
The first version of my texts usually contains many errors, not only grammatical, but even in agreement! I just start writing down everything that is in my head, and then I revisit it at another time. This brings me to the last tip of my writing process: pause after the first version! Learning how to treat yourself to moments of rest is essential. Celebrating small victories has an extremely positive impact on our well-being, and helps to improve the creative process. After finishing the first version, save and close everything. Go have fun or disconnect a little. When you go back to the text, reread paragraph by paragraph, you will notice that many words and statements will naturally correct themselves during the review process.
At the end of all this, I dedicate time to the article’s image resources (which are usually still marked in the structure as “[INSERT IMAGE HERE]”). When you have finished saying everything you thought was pertinent, it is easier to define what type of image will actually add meaning to the content, illustrating something that was explained during the text, or even bringing a comic relief, as I am doing now.
Once again I emphasize: this is my particular writing process, it works very well for me and avoids moments of saturation and stagnation. However, each person can find unique ways to awaken creativity within them. Regardless of what your step-by-step is, I hope these little tips can help you to put out a part of the universe that exists within you!
