In this post http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=269381 (can't do live links yet), I set a goal of writing 2000 words daily. Yesterday I didn't quite meet my goal of writing 2000 words. I was having problems thinking of stuff to write. And I got distracted again. I got distracted reading about bum marketing. I have to stay focused with content creation and stop chasing rabbit trails. I realized that part of my problem with producing content was not having a definite strategy. So, I thought and thought. What would it look like to actually have a plan before I wrote an article or posted a blog entry? After much brain work, here's what I came up with. Hopefully, this will work. I really think I can write 2000 words a day if I follow this plan. Basically, I wrote down a bunch of different types/formats of content. Here's my preliminary list. Rewrite PLR article Review Recommendation Link out (Link blurb) Linkbait (Basically, something super creative) "Life cache" (tie a niche topic with a life event) Rewrite forum post (my own post) Quick research post (pick a topic, find three articles/blog posts, combine them) Big research post (just like quick research post, but more research) List Now, how does this help me write more words? Well, before I write, I look at this list to give me ideas on what to write. Based on my recent blog reading and life experience, I choose one and go for it. The beauty of this list is that I don't have to reinvent the wheel in every time I post an entry. I don't have to spend time thinking of an article format. For me, having all these content formats in one place helps me focus on the niches, topics, and ideas. Instead of figuring out how to say something, I focus on actually saying something. I hope this makes sense. It's something I just thought of. We'll see how it goes. Tell me what you think. How do you add unique content to your websites? What other content formats have I missed?
hmm interesting. writers block is the thing that kills me the most. I am very tired by the time I get to writting an article and now after I look at what I have done this month,I found out I haven't even written one new article in 4 weeks. I am sure someone here has an idea on how to beat this.
they say that a writer that is not a natural procastinator is not a writer... Stephen King wrote some time ago a book about writing, it has no waste. What he says is that the only way to write is writing... put yourself in front of the computer with the text editor opened for some hours a day. If writing is in your blood, after the first rush that pulls you to do anything else, the words will come. They say that after a while it becomes habit, I'm still working on it. Except when I have something commissioned, the distractions win almost half of the battles. Have a good one! Sandra.
Great quote, anadantra. It shows that maybe writing do require some hard work and effort on our part. I guess that's in any field. Tiger Woods is known for his practice ethic. Yeah, I hate that feeling of looking at my blog and seeing that my last post was over a month ago That's why I took off the dates on my posts on my newest blog
Hehe ... great tip ... thanks pholpher .... I have done list writing before and it does help a lot, especially in tasks.
Interesting approach to writing, however I would suggest 100 to 500 words as starting point and then go up and up so many people could be discouraged after not reaching 2,000 words a day. In the beginning it could be due to laziness, lack of time or any other factor before a person can develop a writing discipline at his/her own pace.
Have you ever tried using a mind map? You can find information about it here at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map
Setting a goal to write a certain number of words a day means nothing if you have nothing to write about. I think the outline you've come up with so far is great for getting started. I'd take it a set farther and make it a bit more actionable. I find it easier when my to-do list contains topics or specific titles of articles I plan to write. For example, my to-do list today included "2 articles for submitting to directories." I went ahead and came up with the titles of the articles so when I came to that item, I'd get it done faster than if I were starting completely from scratch. You should start each day with the end in mind. Not just the end goal of writing 2,000 words, but the specific things that you're going to write to meet that goal, whether it's for your own websites, blog posts, forum posts, or clients. Each person has their own technique that gets their juices flowing, so you might have to play around with a few ideas until you find something that works for you.
2000 words does seem a bit intimidating if you're just getting started. Of course, I suppose you don't have to do it all at once, though I imagine the continuity would be helpful in seeing projects all the way through thouugh. The above ideas you have seem a little vauge; are there specific topics you generally write about, or do you end up spending a lot of time trying to figure out just what you want your topic to be?
Mind maps are really very inventive, very creative and they do help when people feel somewhat pressed for time and having no ideas in mind. Unfortunately, when I, personally, get stuck in a writer's block it comes more to motivation than to lack of ideas, so mind maps don't work much for me. Good luck I suffer from the writer's block once in a blue moon.
Pholpher, to start with - great list It is clear and exhaustive - to be honest, I am a perpetual writer but I couldn't figure out anything to add to your list. Probably what you have in your list are the basic types any person actively involved in writing need. And I am sure the list will help you write more and more effectively, what I guess you are aiming at. Wonderfully said and it really works. I've been so many times through it - losing my time in desperate wonders how to say something when all that I needed was to sit down and write it...When you have a clear vision - in your head, what options you have, it is always much easier.
Most writers suffer from the so called writer's block now and then. I suppose it cause by the fear and anxiety, the changes in life, the upcoming end of a project, or the beginning of a project…almost anything, it seems that the particular feeling of fear and frustration can cause that.
I suggest some tricks for this kind of a problem: I. always make sure that you have a plan or a schedule before you start writing. II. You have to abide by the pro writer's laws - do not be too hard on yourself and always think of writing as a job and less as an art. III. Take some time off once in a while IV. Set up deadlines, work on more than one project at a time and while doing that try to investigate the issues that may be causing your writer's block V. always remember why you started writing in the first place, do writing exercise while taking some time off
Two thousand words a day is a lot, a whole lot. I agree that you should have a master list with a backlog of ideas or topics. Your list covers type or style or approach, but doesn't help much with subject matter. Sitting down in front of a computer with plans to write a list is not going to get you anywhere unless you have something to put in the list. Techniques for coming up with subject matter were discussed in this threard: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=261505&highlight=hundreds+of+articles