How do you keep your writing process organized?

VintageRose Level 1

September 20, 2018, 9:43 pm

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How do you keep your writing process organized?

It's pretty clear that before sitting down and writing an article, essay, or story, we have a roughly defined map of what we want to do; sometimes we visualize a clear structure divided by the points we want to discuss, but most of the time we just have a vague idea that takes shape on its own as we start writing, a process that is far more creative but sometimes too chaotic, for words sometimes have a life of their own and we, inevitably, end up going off-topic.

My question is, what is your approach to make sure your writing process is structured, organized, and to the point? Do you make a list of the items you want to discuss? Or perhaps you're the type that relies on drafts? I'm a bit of a messy writer, the kind that lets words guide the way, so I'm really open to advise on how to be neater during my work. Thank you!

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Corzhens

Corzhens

It is difficult to write from the head because the data is not organized so there is a tendency to lose direction in the story or topic that you are writing about. The best way for me to write is to write down the story outline first. And that comes after writing down points and notes about the subject matter which are sorted to give a semblance of flow. The outline will dictate the direction and flow of the story so that the writing will be smooth since all you need to think about are the details.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

I have often written from the head with no proper organisation. I cannpt say am perfect becsuse I make mistakes. Yet even those whp organize their work make mistakes too.

My ideas take shape as I write. I have some great srticles too.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

Yes! Its really good that your writing is organized. I just divide it into three parts. First is the introduction. Second is the body. And last is the conclusion.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

This is also a good move for a formal writing. The introduction as far as I am concerned should have serious and we'll explained concepts that is going to tell the reader more about the body of the article. This is the point where you can make or mar your chances of putting up a better work at the end of the day!

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

That's how I also do it. It's what we are taught at in school and the less complicated one. The structure is what makes me more organized in writing. The parts will basically tell you what you should write.

6 years ago

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Aeolos

Aeolos

I usually make an outline first to list down all the things I want to write. It really helps me being lost during the writing my draft. I will certainly make sure that the most important topics are discussed and discard small ideas that will just add confusion to my article. I'm simple and straightforward when I'm writing because things get complicated if your thoughts are scattered around the your article.

6 years ago

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jaymish3

jaymish3

I think that writing is an extremely messy process. I think that is also very individual. Everyone has their own process. Personally my process is messy. For me I do my research about the topic and then get down all my thoughts on a microsoft word. I then use the rest of my time editing and building mt article. To get to this point I have had years of not being satisfied with my process. In my opinion the quality of your writing will be determined by your process.

6 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

Because Im very forgetful person but I make sure everything I write are all organised, My notebook is always with me so i can write it down anytime I want. I always take note everything I think of its like my scratch pad because I make sure my file writings are all good. And I make sure my place or my table is clean so it wont distract me when I start my article.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

I'm a type of writer that write down first all of my ideas. And once I have all the information that I want to include in my article, I will organize it. I double check the grammar and spelling or find another term to replace some words that I use to make it enticing for a reader.

6 years ago

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beerthooyah

beerthooyah

I usually start with an outline of the topic that I would like to write about. I designate certain topics to be discussed on each paragraph that I have outlined. Usually my first and last paragraph contains my opening and closing remarks of my topic respectively. The body of my article will then be written based on the outline or topics to be discussed about.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

I usually have a pretty structured system when it comes to my writing.

An obvious point is that I always keep in mind that I’m going to have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion; that’s just the fundamental structure that we all know. I usually bang out the introduction and conclusion first because they’re the least detailed elements, and then I change them up a bit later to flow better with the body.

When writing the body, I usually ask myself several questions, and by answering these questions I end up with the main body of work. Then if I want to expand on it further, I throw in more questions (for myself, not the reader) and fill out the body a bit more that way.

When I’m stuck on certain ideas, I always find that asking questions works, because I figure it’s something the reader might do if they’re not getting enough details from me.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

Lists! Lots and lots of lists. I have a big whiteboard above my laptop, and I usually write out a flowchart of how I want my piece to go on there, so I don't get distracted. I try and break each section into what components I want to include in there. I think just mapping out some kind of framework is helpful for the writing process, so that you don't deviate off course too much.

6 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

Yes, I do list down the things that I plan to discuss before writing. I make an outline on how the flow of the content will go and start filling it up from there. It doesn't just help me keep going to the right path but it also helps me focus on one topic at a time.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Exactly! When you have made an orderly list of what you want to discuss or write about, it's the first step in the process of making your writing to be orderly and arranged. The next step is to make sure you follow the list which you have made. There are some writers that would waste all the time and effort to make lists but still ends up working outside the list. This makes a mockery of the whole list making.

6 years ago

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rlpzbeermoney

rlpzbeermoney

I see to it to make a bubble diagram of the list of topics I want and need to discuss in writing. I would then link the bubbles one by one from start to finish. It becomes my guide in writing. I can quickly glance on it and follow the bubbles' direction. Sometimes, we need to jot down the things we have in our head to properly organize. Not everything can happen inside our heads. Maybe for some people they can but this is how I do it.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

My father makes use of this your trick or technique in almost everything he does. He always draws up a list of everything he wants to discuss and treat it one after the other.

By doing so, he would never get mixed up in dealing with all the issues he wants to discuss. His daily programs are arranged in such manner and he gives it his all to always complete each days outlined tasks.

6 years ago

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rlpzbeermoney

rlpzbeermoney

It's called a bubble diagram. I learned it in university. I use it to group and facilitate tasks that should go in order. It can also be called a flow chart in a way though with bubbles, you can be as dirty as you'd like. It is afterall a creative process.

6 years ago

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anchoreztin

anchoreztin

Given a topic, I do freestyle writing. It is not organized but I try to write all my great ideas in a paper first so that I will not forgot. Then later on, I organize my thought through inverted pyramid style. I start with broad topic then i break it down into more specific topics until I am able to relay message I want to give.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Exactly! This is another great idea of how to get one's writing to be a fully organized and meaningful one. It's just like using the climax and anti climax writing techniques. This would help you to orderly arrange your writing in its order of importance and understanding, so that it wouldn't confuse the readers.

6 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

Me too I guess that method really works for me until now. What I understand deeply the topic about then that's the time my thought start to work but that's all rumbled that why we still need a paper and a pen to write it down first in the meantime before we forget it and come up with new ideas again.

6 years ago

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Jeane

Jeane

When I'm writing articles I use two Ws and one H to guide me:

1. What?
The intro covers everything the title of my article promises the reader.

2. Why?
This is the transition from the title to my article's body.

3. How?
Here I now relay all the information that the reader is seeking.

A simpler method is to ask five questions your readers may want answered. Answer those questions, write a decent conclusion and your article is done.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

This your comment reminds me of when I was still in the university in one of my lectures the lecturer taught us about answering the question of 4 W's and 1 H. What, When, Where, Why and How.

When you are writing on anything, once you have managed to provide information on all these questions of 4 W's and 1 H, your writing would be 100% complete.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

This is a nice answer to the question. Thanks for this tip. I will try to do what you have written here.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

In a very simple manner, just try as much as possible not to complicate your writing. Yes, I understand that some writers want to go on and on when writing on a particular subject, but it's not always to the advantage of the topic because along the line, the writer would end up going off topic which hurts the entire writing.

6 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

I agree. Sometimes, the more a writer tries to expand their article the content suffers. It's like a road that goes into many different ways but ends up in one destination. Even readers sometimes gets lost in the process.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I usually jot down first all my ideas in a notebook then when I see that it is already enough, I will start writing my paper or content. Sometimes, I also record my voice saying what I want to put into my story, since I'm kinda lazy person, I preferred recording my voice rather than writing it down. Then when I decided to go on a research, I save all my needed informations first, in a brief manner, and have it printed. That is my most effective way of managing my resources before starting my piece.

6 years ago

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anchoreztin

anchoreztin

We have the same method for "jotting down" notes. I also use voice recorder first for all the great ideas that I have. Sometimes, actually writing the words tends to be forgotten especially if good ideas comes flooding down all at the same time, it could be overwhelming to write.

6 years ago

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coolavender

coolavender

Taking time to make an outline before starting to write helps me organize my ideas. An outline provides the structure for an article and simplifies the writing process for me. It ensures that the article covers the important points. I rarely deviate from an outline and if ever I do, it's usually when writing about an unfamiliar topic. In such cases, I would usually find information that requires more research and warrants the inclusion of more subtopics. Writing about a new topic represents a new investment for me so spending a little bit more time for it is acceptable.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

There are as much ideas on organizing ideas as there are writers. SEO is one way on how to organize your work. Keywords, tags, backlinks, meta descriptions must be organized to optimize your content on search engines.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

I always have at the back of my mind whatever that I want to discuss. Actually, you can't just afford to mess up your articles by not having everything detailed out before you begin to write. When it is a technical writing, I can put the ideas down in a particular paper and pick them one after another to discuss in am extensive way.

6 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

I think it's important for a technical writer to have a notebook where he can write any ideas that come to his mind. When the thoughts are cluttered then you tend to forget something. Even if you are not a technical writer, a notebook will help you preserve the ideas that appear out of the blue.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

There is this app that I have got on my phone that always assist me with my writing and the good thing is that I have gotten to that point where I can enjoy a good time writing as well. Though, while it is not easy to have those ideas off hand, it is essential for us to understand what we are writing about before we even make the first paragraph.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

Once you have written all of your ideas, you need to have a plan on how to deliver your thoughts in a positive way. Knowing what to include in your introduction, paragraph, and how you are going to end your article are also important. As long as you know the flow of your content, you will be able to keep your process organized.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

The flow and organization of my writing often goes with my mood. I just write wirhout any priper plan. This is one thing I have done for decades. Normally I used to write organized plays without any proper plan. A play takes 45 or more minutes.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

I keep it on the flow like the story is still good like it starts from the top to the end.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

By writing or typing it properly like from the beginning to end, so the readers can understand what you are trying to point out.

6 years ago

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Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh

In making a detailed and organized article, we should first make a draft to make a proper flow so that we won't be confused in the middle of the writing process.

Draft serve as a guide where we can make it in ourselve where we can easily perceived the symbols that we have written. Just keep in mind that we must aleays account a draft before starting tge writing process to avoid a disorganized article.

6 years ago

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jaymish3

jaymish3

When you are in school and your teachers are teaching you about how to write an article/essay the tell you that the first thing you have to do is plan your article/essay first.This is roughly true. @Gilgamesh you need to plan before you do your first draft. You need to note down a rough structure of the points you are going to use either from research or through what you already know. If you just write and let your ideas unfold, you are in a lot of trouble.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Well, I guess you really need to take time on thinking on a topic that you really want to mkae, and process each content in your mind so you can have an idea, then you go on writing it and read it clearly first before you submit so you won't have a mistake.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

I am a really messy writer and have been known to chop something up into about fifty files and then have to wander around my hardware gathering them all into one place. I can, at times, have one file for one paragraph with associated ideas. Every so often I download software like ywriter and generally forget its there. Eventually, I have one big file for everything associated with a project, but that tends to be quite far down the line. I really should be more organised as it would increase productivity. I generally have three or four versions of the same stuff by the end.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

The first thing I've learned about writing blogs and articles is that I need to have a good outline. I always have several outlines which I use for all my articles and depending on what kind of content I'm writing, I would choose the best outline for it.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

How I maintain my writing process organized is based on what I learned from school. First, I have to gather my ideas and sometimes, I enumerate them in my mind. Second, when I already have my points, I construct the introduction, body, then, conclusion. As long as I have the important details in my mind, I can at least be prepared in writing.

6 years ago

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MomoStarr16

MomoStarr16

I don't there will be a very clean and organized writer. All of the writer I know have a mannerism like me. It is writing on a scratch or making a draft of things before making it a better story. Whenever something comes in my mind I write it whenever there is something to write on. I just compiled it on a box mixed with other draft. Simple as that.

6 years ago

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jpk0007

jpk0007

Well, I am also trying my best to keep my writing process organized and I also have a tendency of often completely going off the subject and realising it after some time. I guess the best thing that is working for me currently is to have a complete plan and outline about what I am going to write beforehand. this helps in keeping your focus on the subject and prevents us from going off on a tangent. I am saving a lot of my time and effort now after following this simple rule

6 years ago

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hstinscdln

hstinscdln

I'm a lazy person and not fond of making drafts. But I must say that making drafts are reallu helpful. Also, if ideas come into you mind all of a sudden on a part that it was skipped, just write down that ideas first on a peace of paper and include it in your next draft. If you are on your first draft, then write down all the ideas first and put the ideas in order in how you are going to present it.

6 years ago

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