When you sit down at the keyboard to write, you probably have an idea or two in your head. You might have a topic in mind, or a title, or a metaphor. So, you plunge into writing your blog post or book chapter. But somewhere along the way, you wonder where you’re headed. You struggle to make it come out right, or maybe you put it down and walk away. Either way, your piece ends up not being finished. Or perhaps you bring it to an awkward conclusion, but it never gets published because you’re unhappy with it.
Writing doesn’t have to be like this! Author and freelance writer Ali Luke has a solution: “Whatever you’re about to write, you need a plan… If you begin writing without a plan, it’s all too easy to lose focus. You don’t know where you’re going next — and as soon as you come to the natural end of one train of thought, you’ll probably find yourself getting distracted.”
That’s a perfect description of what so often happens to a writing idea that isn’t yet a plan. It’s like leaving home to take a trip without any sort of map available. You may have decided which way to turn when you leave the driveway, and even which highway to take. But you also need to know whether your destination is north or south, and what exit will get you closest to it. Otherwise, you might find yourself endlessly driving, scanning each exit to see if it’s the right one.
Maybe you’ll get lucky and find an exit that gets you close to where you wanted to go. But more likely, you’ll eventually just pick an exit at random and end up somewhere else entirely. Or give up and head back home.
By definition, a plan has a beginning, an end, and some steps in the middle. So should your writing. Before you set out on your next writing journey, take a few minutes to think about what destination you’re trying to reach, and what steps might get you there.
To get started, you don’t need sentences; bullet points or a mind map will do. Your steps don’t even have to be in order. It’s okay to start in the middle so long as you have a picture of what comes before and after. Just don’t pull out of your metaphorical driveway, writing at random, and hoping a useful piece will be the result.
As a self-employed pro, your writing time is precious. Don’t waste it making wrong turns.
