| 1 Remove your limits | | | | them. Don't edit yourself at this stage. Using |
| Reduce your subject to a single core word and | | | | Speech to Text software or a digital recorder can |
| then brainstorm around it. For example, if you're | | | | also be helpful in bypassing the internal editor. |
| trying to write about "Study Skills", expand your | | | | Imagine someone sitting in front of you asking for |
| thinking to "School". Now jot down everything that | | | | advice and just talk to them. Keep your tone |
| comes to mind when you think about School, and | | | | natural and conversational and stay with the |
| when you run out of ideas start asking yourself | | | | question-and-answer format. |
| open questions around the subject and noting | | | | 6 Edit lightly |
| your answers. | | | | Trust your first instincts. Proof-read and correct |
| Examples: | | | | any obvious errors, but don't do any major editing |
| What did I enjoy about school? | | | | until your piece has had time to "sit" for a while. |
| What scared me? | | | | Again, leaving it overnight will give you a fresh |
| What did I wish I'd known from Day 1? | | | | perspective the next time you look at it, but |
| This will help you get back into the mindset of | | | | even if your deadline doesn't allow for that it's |
| someone struggling with school issues of all kinds | | | | important to give yourself a break from it. |
| and you'll start to get a feel for their concerns | | | | When you're pushed for time, writing several |
| and worries. | | | | articles at one sitting can create enough change |
| 2 Restore your focus | | | | of focus to make you "forget" the one you've |
| Once you've started to understand the general | | | | just written. |
| feelings of your readers, allow your mind to focus | | | | 7 Polish it up |
| back on your original topic of Study Skills. From | | | | Short articles are unlikely to need major editing if |
| your new perspective, what questions would you | | | | you've written them as described here. They will |
| ask? What would you want to know? Is this really | | | | flow easily and naturally already and having each |
| a "Studying" issue or is it more about Time | | | | Q & A on a separate sheet makes it easier |
| Management or being able to work without | | | | to select only the ones you want. Your job now |
| distractions or being paralyzed by the fear of not | | | | is to put them in a reasonably logical sequence |
| doing well? | | | | and make sure they're understandable and that |
| 3 Be your audience | | | | the reader is led smoothly from one question and |
| Write each question on a separate sheet of | | | | answer to the next. |
| paper; don't stop until you have at least ten and | | | | 8 Top and tail it |
| preferably more. Stay in the mindset of your | | | | Write a brief introductory paragraph as a "teaser" |
| readers until you feel you've asked every major | | | | for the main article. Many article directories now |
| question that concerns them. | | | | put the first paragraph of each piece into RSS |
| 4 Take a step back | | | | feeds which are picked up by other websites, so |
| Put your pile of question aside for a few hours, | | | | you'll want to make sure that your two or three |
| overnight if possible. Don't consciously think about | | | | major keywords appear at least once in that first |
| them; just go about your day as usual. Give your | | | | paragraph. |
| subconscious time to process them without any | | | | Write another short paragraph to summarize the |
| further prompting from you. If new questions | | | | major points of the article and provide some |
| come to mind jot them down somewhere safe | | | | ideas for the reader to explore the subject |
| and then forget about them. | | | | further. Don't of course forget your own |
| 5 Get out your pen and write | | | | resource box: use the format for your link, so |
| When you're ready, sit down with your pages of | | | | when your article is converted to html your link |
| questions and simply start to answer them. | | | | will automatically be live. |
| Writing your answers by hand can give you | | | | 9 Submit it! |
| access to ideas that might be missed if you type | | | | |