I Am Sharing My Simple, Yet Effective 3-Step Writing Process With You

I don’t know how things work for you, but I find it difficult to write content every day without a proper system put in place.

Doesn’t it happen to you to be very into writing, but to feel stuck when you get in front of your laptop? As if your inspiration went to the trash. You cannot write a single word.

I don’t know if this is writer’s block or not, but I had created a system that helps me bypass these moments. By respecting the below 3-step process, I am capable of generating content every day, without having to struggle a lot.

Step 1 — The Continuous Flow of Ideas

I get a lot of writing ideas whenever I do anything unrelated to writing. I developed a habit to write them on either blank pieces of paper when I am home or on my phone when I’m away.

I make post sketches every time something crosses my mind. I write down different article ideas or even create short drafts.

When I get to the laptop, I can transform a 100-word draft into a 4-minute read piece of content easily.

Actionable advice:

• find a simple way for you to write down all your ideas, as they come into your mind;
• the more ideas you have, the more content you can create;
• 1/3 of the article is done once you finish the idea sketch.

Step 2 — The Writing Process

I usually write when I am alone in the room, or when the family is doing something that does not involve me.

I need mental silence to be able to focus on my writing game. I either take a blank piece of paper with writing ideas or I work at the articles written as drafts on my phone.

I need to start writing immediately after I get in front of the laptop. If I don’t have anything to write about, the process of finding ideas drains my energy and decreases my creativity.

Actionable advice:

• benefit from the moments you are in the mood for writing;
• if you have your ideas well structured, you can generate good content fast;
• never get in front of your laptop without a writing plan;

Step 3 — Edit and publish

Once you finish writing your post, you need to edit it, choose a suitable photo, and send it to a publication.

I need to read an article 3 times before I can publish it. My editing system works like this:

• I read the article once out loud, to identify the sentences that need to be shortened;
• I read the article a second time, on my mobile phone, to spot different word repetitions and to eliminate them;
• I read the article a third time on my laptop, I test different headlines, chose a cover photo, and publish or send the article to a publication.

My editing process saves me from two things. This way, I make sure my content isn’t sloppy edited and I control my tendency to overedit my content.

Actionable advice:

• Getting the article ready to be published is very important;
• A strong headline will boost your number of reads so don’t publish anything having the first headline you had in mind (unless it’s really good);
• Eliminating word repetitions will increase the quality of your post by at least 20%.

Bottom line

The nice thing about my writing system is that it works independently of my mood or state of mind.

When I am too tired of writing (step 2), I do different things to get content ideas (step 1).

I transform my ideas into articles (step 2) whenever I am in the mood for writing.

I edit and send articles to publications when I feel productive and inspired (step 3).

Actionable advice:

By creating a good writing system and backing it up with different writing habits, you make your writer's job easier.

You can either use my writing system or create your own. The only thing that matters is that you find a way to write and publish constantly. Remember, the more you write, the better you become.

I love this Benjamin Franklin quote and I use it as my top motivator:

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

This was originally posted on Medium.

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👇 I hope you enjoyed reading this piece. Curious to know a bit about myself? 👇

My pen name is Ryan Miller. I am a Linux Sysadmin, writing hobbyist, father, and husband. I mostly write non-fiction on Vocal, Medium, and my blogs.

My day-to-day job pays my bills, but I am not going to lie to you. I am interested in making money with my writing as well. My top earning article on Medium generated 50$ so far.

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