Stop Thinking: 3 Simple Steps to Writing Anything You Choose

Are you thinking too much?

When my sons were tiny, I said that I’d have “Go and wash your hands!” as my epitaph. These days I spend a lot of time coaching writers, so I’m choosing: “You’re over-thinking this” as my new epitaph.

Chances are that you’re thinking way too much, and not writing enough.

Writing is simple. If you can talk, you can write. And once something’s written you’ve made a start, and then you can write it better.

Let’s look at at 3 simple steps to writing ANYTHING.

Whenever you stop writing, and stare into space and think, just repeat the 3 steps.

Here they are.

1. Describe it

Describe the writing task you’re doing. For example:

* “I’m writing an article about dog training for the owners of a new puppy. I’ll talk about dogs as pack animals, and how the dog learns via body language and vocal tone. I’ll include three tips.”

* “I’m writing a book on weight loss for new moms. While the goal’s to help moms to lose weight, my primary aim is to help a new mom to feel great, healthy and confident. This is important because…”

See what we did in the two examples above? We CLARIFIED the task. Now the task’s no longer intimidating. Your task description may be as short as a sentence, or it may be 250 words — or even longer.

When I coach freelance writers, I ask them to describe a project they’ve been hired to write — always. However, it’s just as vital to describe a project you’re writing for yourself.

ALWAYS DESCRIBE THE TASK BEFORE YOU START WRITING. (Yes, I’m shouting. And yes, I feel better now. Thank you.)

Most over-thinking arises from simple confusion. The writer has no clear idea of what he’s supposed to be doing, so he spins his wheels.

2. Brainstorm it

Now you know what you’re doing it’s time to have fun, and brainstorm.

I like to brainstorm against a clock; you can brainstorm any way to choose.

When brainstorming, just write down whatever comes to mind. What you write can be anything, and it doesn’t need to make sense — don’t judge, while you brainstorm.

If you don’t know a topic well, do a little research before you brainstorm. However, make notes while you research, and set a time limit.

I keep all my brainstorms in a folder. Once a month, I go through the folder and review my brainstorms. I often come up with fresh ideas when I do that.

3. Pick something, and outline the writing task

You’ve done your brainstorming. Your next step is to choose something from your brainstorming session, and outline your project — just create a simple list of what you might cover.

Then, you can start writing.

If you get stuck at any stage, just go through the process again — describe it, brainstorm it, and pick something from your brainstorming session.

Here’s what the above process boils down to: you’re thinking on the page, not in your head.

Years ago, around six years into my 30-plus year writing career, I hit a block. I finally got sick of myself, and created this acronym: DDT — Do, Don’t Think. That’s stood me in good stead over the years. It may be useful for you, too.

You can write anything — as long as you don’t over-think it.

Get The Dream Writing Jobs You Want, At Top Rates…

Writing jobs are everywhere. If you want to make $5 for writing 500 words, you can get these jobs all day long. No searching necessary. These gigs are plentiful because the Web’s built on words. If you can string a few words together, you can make money.

I’ve got nothing against these jobs. Sadly however, there are two major challenges with these kinds of gigs: you’ll burn out, and they’re a dead end…

You can write less than you’re writing now, and get paid much more. Get the dream writing jobs you want, at top rates.

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