Columbia-Capstone

Writing Ideas

1.    Determine your focus. What specifically will you write about today?

2.    Write. You must put something on the screen. No exceptions, but you have a choice:

a.    ONE page or

b.    ONE concept to draft completion

3.    Start small. Put one-liners on the screen, a blast from your mind. After 5 min, look back at them and pick the best.

4.    Try a Bubble Diagram.

a.    Blank paper with a circle (bubble) in the middle.

b.    Inside the bubble, write your one-liner (major concept)

c.    Draw ten lines from the bubble, radiating out.

d.    Draw a bubble at the end of each line and write in a sub-one-liner.

e.    The sub-bubbles create your framework. Turn them into a chapter structure like an outline.

5.    Write the details, letting it flow.

6.    Extra junk can be removed later. Don't let self-editing impede your flow.

7.    You may want to have a practice of writing for a few days, then editing for a day.

8.    Finally, keep on moving. There will be a lot of back and forth during professional editing, do not worry about it now.

9.    Professional editing, with your help, will make your writing shine. Just keep polishing. Raw materials seldom look great without the polish.

We all have writer’s block … and other issues

Here are some ideas that can help. Now.