Mental catalog inclusion
If you sit down at the computer and do not know what to write, you will not be able to write anything you need to read in less than an hour. It is important to know what to write before you start writing.
I call this process a mental catalog. For me, mental listing is a process that you think about, process the world, and create ideas. It is a task to negotiate inactivity throughout the day. I write a lot about writing and leadership. So I always review my day with these two categories. As I write, I ask myself, “What is going on here?” “What can I learn from one of my experiences?” These questions lead me to articles I write about the writing process.
Recently, I have been listening to and reading books about corporate leadership, production, and culture. I usually use these books on my way to and from work. As I drive, I think about the topics I hear and look at my working life with the newly acquired lens. I usually get excited about something. Lately, my love has been about good leadership. As I drive, I begin to mentally formulate my ideas about leadership and my knowledge.
Let’s take a look at what I wrote yesterday.
Explain your main points
After you mentally write the catalog, you can start writing. I always start with a simple outline of my main points. With the article above about workplace promotion, I had three points in my head and scored four at the beginning of the article. Having an outline gives you a guide to connecting your thoughts. It allows you to express your words so you don't have to spend too much time on one part and not enough on another.
Also, if the goal writes quickly, you do not need to spend a ton of time on your outline. My general rule is that a piece is long, long with a frame. For anything less than 1000 words, a simple word or phrase for each point is the size of my frame.
Start in the middle
Now it's time to write. You may be tempted to skip this introduction, but most of the time, the time you spend doing the introduction before you write anything else is a waste of time. Many times when I start with an introduction, I find that during the episode my introduction does not match what I am writing. And so I have to rewrite it. This is a waste of time. I will usually start with an introduction only if I have a particular subject that I want to cover or if I have a topic painted in my head in a more detailed way.
Instead of blabbering on as little boys do, they gradually became less talkative, slipping into drowsiness. Then write the second, third, and second points of reference. Then write your introduction and cover everything from the beginning. Your readers will think you are smart.
No interruptions
Now comes the difficult part for many writers: writing. Writing is easy if you do not think too much. With a piece like this, I think I’m having a conversation with someone over coffee, explaining my process. I write as I speak.
To get into the good flow of writing, you do not need distractions. Put the phone away. Close your unwanted tabs. You can walk 45 minutes without checking your email or phone. If you write quickly, you can quickly get back to that thing. Just write. Trust your guts and your frame and drop that piece on the paper.
Final thoughts
Because I spent the required amount of time in my head before I wrote this, I was able to get this article down for about forty minutes. The last word is limited to 1000 words. For work and family, I need to increase my writing time. I hope you can use these principles to expand your own. It is very possible to write a lot in a short time if you set yourself up for success.
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