An Easy Way to Plan Your Writing and Crush It at the Same Time
A simple process that you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of before.
As a writer, sometimes you get stuck or can’t think of anything to write. It happens to everyone.
Just remember, you’re not ChatGPT or Bing’s new artificial intelligence software app. The problem is you’re human and bound to draw a blank sometimes.
It happens to everyone.
This is why you need a system…
A system that allows you to beat your human weakness.
Sometimes, I forget to make time for this routine, and when it’s time to write, I’m scrabbling trying to think of what to put down. This wastes so much time.
If you have a list, sometimes this doesn’t always work.
A list of topics doesn’t always work for me. You may feel the same as well.
For me, I have to feel like writing about one of my topics. If not, the article looks forced and ends up lousy as someone in grade school put it together.
But the system I have used for the past year has done well for me, and it may work for you as well…
The process starts the day before
Before you write, you need a system. It’s hard to think of a topic and then write all at the same time. In too many cases, you’ll exhaust yourself thinking of the topic. Then you burned a few brain cells just thinking of an idea.
So, this is what you really need to do…
Pick your topic the day before. For me, this has worked, and it’s about a 95% chance I stick with it the next day unless I think of something better.
To write, you need the brain power and energy to write. But when you have to think about the topic to write about, you’ll use more energy. And, you end up wasting a lot of time.
I have seen many writers say they’re stumped. They can’t think about what to write. Or they write something that looks bad, really bad. Maybe they tried to think of a topic and then go right into writing the next minute.
If you use the system I describe, maybe you’ll give yourself more time you need to put together a work of art.
As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your work of art needs time.
“Ordinary people think merely of spending time, great people think of using it.”
~ Arthur Schopenhauer
Time is one thing we all have, but you can easily waste it. You need to make time work for you and not against you.
You have 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
24 hours a day = 168 hours a week
By the end of the week, you wonder where did the time go?
What did you do in those 168 hours?
These days it is too easy to lose track of time by all the distractions that are out there -
- TV
- streaming services
- podcasts
- YouTube videos
- Instagram pics or shorts
- Pinterest clips
- blogs
- tweets
- Tik Tok videos
Then there is your phone so someone can easily reach out to you at a moment’s notice.
There are more distracters but these are the main ones.
20 years ago, the only distraction you had to worry about was TV. Now, there are so many other things out there that want your time.
You need to be careful you don’t let these distracters interfere with your writing time.
Thinking of an idea is one thing.
Writing about it is another.
So these distracters take away time from your writing process.
Do your best to stay focused
Personally, I use my computer time as my guide. I start writing around 7:30 am and try to get the majority of my articles done by noon at the latest.
During this time, I’m also dropping my kids off at school — I may make a quick run to pick up some food since I don’t like shopping when it’s crowded and the mornings are best.
Then if I have a meeting, I try not to schedule anything until after 12 if possible. I really don’t like writing in the afternoon or evening, but there have been a few times that I’ve done that.
As a reminder, try to plan your writing idea the day before. I usually put together my list the night before.
Then when morning comes around, I look at my list and start writing.
There is no time to wait, and no time to figure out what to put together. This process has helped me, and I’m sure it will help you.
Try it out and let me know what you think.
