If you are not a professional writer, and don’t aspire to being one, but sometimes get burdened with the task of writing a newsletter or similar article, then you have probably found yourself at least once staring at a blank sheet wondering where to start.
Welcome to the club! You’re not the first! The phenomenon known as ‘writer’s block’ has probably been around since the first hieroglyphics.
However, that is no consolation when it comes to overcoming a bad case of it, especially with a deadline looming. Here are a few tips that might help next time.
1. Give Yourself Time
The most obvious thing is to give yourself plenty of time so that ideas can form gradually and assume some shape before you put pen to paper.
If you are one of that rare breed, a natural writer, and you organize your timetable to allow a lead-in time for idea development, the creative impulses might work quite naturally at the time you appointed for sitting down and committing yourself to paper. This rarely happens though if, like most of us, you are not a natural writer (meaning that it might be something you enjoy doing, even something you are thought of as being very good at, but you have to labor over it to get it right).
Then it can sometimes be very difficult if you are not ‘in the mood’ at the appointed time. Far better if you allow yourself adequate time to think about what you are going to write and then set about the assignment when you feel ready and with plenty of time for revisions, proofing etc.
2. Show Your Expertise
Obviously, it can help tremendously if you are an expert, or at least a reasonably accomplished authority, on the subject concerned—but it isn’t essential. A working knowledge is often quite enough if you are willing to put some effort into research.
Many writers do not relish this part of their calling but know the value of it and incorporate it into their everyday lives. They make notes of interesting things that happen around them, things they hear, and so on.
You can do the same simply by always having a small notepad and pencil on you. They read avidly and become adept at spotting a well-turned phrase or an interesting new viewpoint. They adopt the habit of clipping items out of magazines and newspapers whenever something catches their eye.
3. Clip and Archive
Clippings can generate ideas for articles, provide material that can be used within a piece, or sometimes get archived for years until their time suddenly arrives.
Many writers keep hundreds of clippings in files and folders, all categorized by topic, indexed by source and date stamped.
One word of warning if you adopt this practice though: always double-check any facts that are gleaned from clippings.
4. Research
Systematic research may include public libraries, indices such as the Writer’s Market index and the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature (these are two of hundreds in the USA but similar indices are available in other countries), the Internet and other online services, encyclopedias, dictionaries and yearbooks, etc.
Many industrial and non-profit associations and similar organizations maintain their own databases, some of which are searchable for a fee but many of which are free to anyone who wants to use them.
5. Interviewing
Interviewing experts is a popular and effective alternative to researching for a piece and, of course, lends a legitimate subjective angle. Be prepared to encounter all the same problems faced in a typical sales situation.
For example, you may have to identify the key person in advance, if she is not already known to you, and make contact to set up the interview (even dodging ‘minders’ along the way). The interview itself is not unlike a sales situation except that your objective is to encourage the interviewee to open up a discourse with you.
As in any well-conducted sales interview, the more input from the ‘prospect’ and the less from the ‘salesperson’, the better.
Ask short, pointed questions and encourage detailed and involved answers.
Once again, planning is the key to success. You need to know exactly what questions you are going to ask and how you are going to broach them.
Carry a list to be sure you don’t overlook the important ones. Don’t be afraid of admitting your ignorance of a subject, where this is the case; it often helps the interviewee to open up more and, after all, the information they provide is for your readers, not for you.
Most ‘experts’ love to air their knowledge to anyone who shows an interest in the subject they are so passionate about. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Can you explain that in more detail?” is often all that is needed to get a reluctant interviewee to open up with complete enthusiasm. It is a matter of building up trust.
Putting the interviewee in the position of teacher and appointing yourself as pupil gives her the feeling of being in command. Don’t allow your own ego to dominate the interview.
6. Getting Organized
Most articles are made up of a title, intended to command attention; an opener, being the first paragraph and meant to arouse further interest; the main body text or the ‘meat’ of the article; and the closing paragraph, which very often takes the form of a summary.
Bearing this in mind, gather all your clippings, key idea notes, interview transcripts etc. and juggle them around until you settle on an order of inclusion that follows this logical pattern. Sketch out the final sequence on a piece of paper. This will be the basic structure of your article.
7. Using Titles
Put some thought into the title. People scan the contents of publications by reading titles and if you want your piece to be read then you need to make it as appealing as possible for the readership you are writing for.
Many professional writers keep lists of article titles that caught their eye and adapt them later for their own use. Some get their inspiration for article content from working titles. The point about working titles is that they allow you to focus on the subject in hand knowing that your final choice of title might be very different.
Very often you will find that your final title becomes obvious to you from key words or phrases in the piece before you have finished writing it.
Do bear in mind though, that if an editor is going to be involved in the process, she has the right to change the title to fit the style of the publication so your choice may not, in the end, be used. That possibility is very much lessened if you choose a strong title yourself.
8. The First Draft
The first paragraph is the article opener. This is where you announce what the text that follows is going to be all about.
A well-focused opener makes it much easier to stick to the point of the article in the main body. Keep your readership in mind as you write. This will enable you to write in a style that suits them. Write as you would speak. Some find the whole process easier if they dictate a whole article first and then edit the transcript. Try it using a tape recorder or dictaphone if you find that writing down the words prevents a proper flow from developing. But, most important of all, get it down.
Don’t worry about grammar or spelling or even if it makes good sense. Your first draft should be just that and will need editing to fine-tune your piece ready for publishing. Expect a third or even a fourth draft before completion.
A good tip for most people is to allow a gap between completion of the final draft and final proofing, preferably overnight. It is quite surprising how easy it can sometimes be to resolve a part that you previously struggled with given the passage of a little time.
The Summary
Use the ending to summarize the main points of your article. Draw a conclusion from the summary that emphasizes the main point, possibly by using an anecdote or a quotation. And finish off the piece with a straight statement about what lessons were illustrated or offer advice to show how to benefit from what was discussed.
Casual article writing can be a chore or a surprisingly satisfying undertaking. For the non-professional writer it’s all a matter of planning.