Summary

The author discusses the importance of using simple tools like templates and checklists to streamline the writing process, emphasizing the effectiveness of Scrivener for organizing their work.

Abstract

The author shares their journey of evolving from a disorganized writing process to a structured one using a combination of a self-created article template and a checklist. They highlight the chaos of their initial approach, with ideas and research scattered across different platforms. After experimenting with various applications, the author found Scrivener to be the most effective tool for consolidating all aspects of writing, including research, drafts, and publishing checklists. The article template and checklist were developed to ensure focus and efficiency, integrating key elements such as a clear understanding of the story's essence, and tools like Grammarly and ProWriting Aid for editing. The author advocates for the creation of personalized writing tools to establish a routine that supports creativity without overwhelming it.

Opinions

The author believes in the power of systems and checklists to manage a scattered brain and maintain focus while writing.
They suggest that maneuvering through multiple documents and templates can be inefficient, and a single workspace like Scrivener can be beneficial.
The author emphasizes the importance of having a clear question to guide the writing process, such as "What is this story about?"
They found that existing writing applications like Ulysses, Day One, and Trello did not meet their needs as effectively as Scrivener.
The author values the ability to interface editing tools like ProWriting Aid with Scrivener to streamline the editing process.
They encourage writers to seek out and adapt processes and tools that work best for their individual workflow and needs.
The author highlights the importance of asking for help and learning from the experiences of other writers when choosing and using writing tools.
They are open to evolving their writing process over time and encourage others to do the same.

Writing Tips

How Simple Tools Can Make a Big Difference

A template and checklist to keep a writer on track for success.

When I started writing regularly, my articles, ideas, and research lay scattered across my physical desk and in folders on my computer. I had a mess. I knew what I needed — a process to hold all the parts together.

When your brain scatters across the universe, you cannot survive without systems. My survival strategy since I was a child has been notes and checklists. Long before bullet journals and elaborate calendar systems became popular, I had developed my version using index cards and notebook paper.

Finding a solution

I dug into finding a tool that would tame my wild brain and keep it focused enough to write and deal with the promotion, follow-up, and tracking of my efforts.

After struggling for over a year, I found what seems to work for me. At least, the early indications show promising results.

This article will describe the template and checklist I created that you can use or modify based on your workflow. I also tried several applications, including Ulysses, Day One, Dabble, and even Trello. I wanted a single application to store the templates and writing.

After several failed attempts at each of those, I revisited Scrivener. I discovered Scrivener when I wrote my first book. Although this tool has a fairly steep learning curve, I could keep all my notes, research, and drafts in one system.

I never considered using Scrivener for my blogging and articles. As I was searching for writing apps, I found an article from Bryan Collins describing how he used Scrivener for blogging. I already owned this app and had used it successful — why not give it a try.

I mention Scrivener because I wanted a single workspace for my writing. You might need something different. For me, maneuvering through several documents, templates, and spreadsheets became cumbersome and inefficient. Scrivener serves as my “house” for all things writing.

My article template

One day, I found myself floundering about with words and ideas that couldn’t make their way into a coherent sentence much less paragraph. I needed a map. Pulling from my experience as a writing teacher and all my books on writing, I set out to create a template to hold those wayward words intact.

After several iterations, I have settled on this guide for everything I write. I now have a folder in Scrivener that holds all my story ideas and writing challenges I come across on Medium. Marion Roach taught me to answer this simple question before writing anything, “What is this story about?”

I used this table to create a template in Scrivener so that every new page opens with these key elements. My map gives order to my thinking and keeps me from falling off the rails. Originally, I formatted the template in a Word document. You could also use Google Docs. I tried Dabble and Trello, but I couldn’t manipulate them as well in those formats.

The checklist to sanity

Through my search on the web and in articles on Medium, I found several blog posts checklists. All were good, but I wanted to also be able to include items specific to my workflow and how I processed the article once I finished writing.

I added Grammarly and Hemingway to this checklist, but now I use ProWriting Aid because it interfaces with Scrivener. You should adapt this list to fit your workflow and needs as a writer. I borrowed, stole, and adapted from some of the best I found.

You will notice some repetition in the template and the checklist. What’s by design since the checklist is my final review that I have everything I need to publish to my webpage, Medium, or any platform. My next opportunity for growth is to improve my use of markdown to eliminate rework in formatting on WordPress or Medium.

This checklist started as a Word document, but I found a way to include each of these into Scrivener. Now I have a complete record regarding the elements of each article, including links to my work.

Takeaways

You may not have a written template or checklist, and that’s okay. But behind your work lies a process, a series of steps. Many of us need a road map to keep all the moving parts from overwhelming our creativity.

If you find yourself stuck, the problem may not be writer’s block. Rather, you don’t have a routine or a process to follow that keeps you moving.
Create your tools. Templates and checklists from others can give you ideas. Everyone has a slightly different way of working through a task, and writing is no different.
Finding the right tools, the correct sequence of tasks, may take several attempts. Our writing and our needs change over time. Don’t fear letting go of processes that don’t work for you.
If you want a digital solution, try out several. I had previously purchased Scrivener, but I tried free versions or trials of several others. Find what works for you.
Ask for help. When I began examining Scrivener as a tool for my writing, I sought the ideas and expertise of others.

I discovered two Medium stories about Scrivener from Sharon Hurley Hall and Mark Starlin. Sharon wrote about Scrivener as a great tool for bloggers. Mark commented on a story by Jamie Todd Rubin on going back to Scrivener. I responded to Sharon and Mark to ask if they were still using the app since both articles were over four years old. They took the time to answer my question, and their experience helped me make my choice.

If you have any questions, leave a response. I am always ready to help you be and become your best.