This guest post is by Stefanie Flaxman of Revision Fairy
Do you have 45 minutes to work on your blog?
If so, I can show you how to write the first draft of your next blog post.
First drafts are messy. This blog post originated from five unrelated words on five separate lines, double-spaced, in a Microsoft Word document. That might not sound like a draft, but without that foundation I would have never created the article that you’re currently reading.
Each lonely word just needed friends to complete my thoughts.
Drafts help you express information that can be crafted later. Writing isn’t a linear process—it’s normal to not know how the finished draft will look. Think of writing as constructing a building. You can’t build the structure in a day. You have to first acquire the proper machinery, excavate the land, install a supportive skeleton, etc.
If you don’t write because you think everything comes out wrong, or you can’t get enough done, that’s like saying building construction isn’t worth the effort because you won’t have a completed product by sundown.
You don’t have to perfectly communicate your intentions right away. That’s not necessarily how a great writer creates words that move you. Writing only becomes natural when you practice. To start, you can train yourself to work in short periods of time.
Here are four simple construction tools to help you write your first draft.
Set the timer
Press the start button on a timer set for 45 minutes. Once the clock is ticking, ignore everything but your draft.
I like this time frame because it takes a bit to get into a writing groove. When I give myself 45 minutes, I actually write for about 30 minutes.
Now, it’s time to ask yourself a few questions.
1. Who’s your reader?
Write down your ideal reader’s characteristics.
Is your reader busy? Does he need fast, short tips or detailed, lengthy research? What’s bothering him?
Once you answer this question, write every sentence of your blog post for that person. You may not put any part of your answer in your final draft, but when you clearly define your audience, you get a better sense of what you want to write and why you’re writing.
Frequently reference the answer to this question throughout the writing process. If your ideal reader would not understand certain information, rewrite or eliminate it.
2. What’s the point?
Write your main message in 25 words or less. You can extract a succinct headline from this statement.
Does your headline describe a specific topic? Does it contain appropriate keywords? What will the reader learn if she reads your post? You will need to spend time fine-tuning your headline during future writing sessions, but you should still begin with a precise focus.
Your headline doesn’t just grab a reader’s attention; it helps you summarize your blog post.
3. How can you help?
Write the information that the reader wants to know.
How does your content solve a problem? Don’t waste sentences alluding to answers to a reader’s questions. State them. You don’t have to use complete sentences with eloquent transitions yet, but your ideas should provide immense value.
Share details that support your blog post’s headline. Thoughtful responses to these three questions shape your intentions.
If you write broad answers, you’ll produce a generic blog post that is similar to writing on other websites.
But if you answer specifically, you’ll write the first draft of useful content that gets shared because there’s nothing else like it.
What’s your process for writing first drafts of posts? Is it anything like this? Share your secrets in the comments.
Stefanie Flaxman created Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services with your editing needs in mind. Follow @RevisionFairy to keep up with Stefanie’s philosophy for writing and editing your life.