Katie's Writing Notes

Let’s say you have written something (an article, a longer blog post, something), but it is a mess, one large block of paragraphs.  The writing got out of your control.  It is redundant and wordy, and you suddenly realize that it is poorly organized.  It is really just a ramble around a topic.

I have been writing and publishing for many years, and yet I recently found myself in this exact situation with an article I wrote a few years ago that I was revising for publication.  And I rediscovered the technique and process that I will describe here.  It may sound obvious, but I felt astounded that the technique worked so well for the problem.

If you’d like to see the revised version of that blog post, Writing is like a Muscle, go to http://katieploeger.com/category/writing-is-series/page/10/.

HERE’S THE PROCESS OF REORGANIZING THE MESS

1. Read through your mess in one sitting, without a pen anywhere nearby.  Just read.  Then go refill your coffee or tea cup, letting the mess sift through your mind.

2. Upon return to your writing space, rather than tackling the words on the page — that are still a mess — sit back, mentally and physically, and ask yourself this question:

* What are the major sections or chunks of ideas presented here?

3. Brainstorm your list of chunks, then edit the list until you are satisfied you have included all the important points you want to make in this piece of writing.

4. Then ask yourself this question:

* In what sequence should these sections be presented to be the most use to the readers?

Create an outline of the sections, and create a title for each section.  These titles are usually called headers. (Now do you see the obviousness of the idea?  But it really is effective.)

5. Working with your computer file, after your introductory paragraph(s), type in your first header and add a few blank lines below it.  Type in your second header and a few blank lines.  Continue to add each section title/header and the blank lines until you have the complete outline typed in.

6. Read through each paragraph of the mess to make sure that it covers only one idea.  If it includes two or more, break the paragraph up so that each chunk has one idea.  Don’t worry about making sentences complete; just make it so you can move paragraphs (ideas) around your file.

7. Cut and paste each paragraph into its appropriate section.  Don’t worry about putting the paragraphs in their proper order just yet.  Assign each paragraph to its section.

8. Do you have any paragraphs left over that seem to be extra or not fit anywhere?  Decide if that paragraph represents a needed section for the writing or if it should be used in another article or just deleted.

9. With all the paragraphs in their assigned sections or deleted, print out your organized mess.  I have found it easier and much more efficient and effective to revise from a printed copy, rather than revising on the computer screen. You will catch more errors and detect more problems with the printout.

10. Read through each section and organize the paragraphs within.  Work on one section at a time until you are happy with its organization.

11. Delete or combine any redundant wording or ideas.  These redundancies were a contributor to the feeling of the “mess.”

12. Add paragraphs and sentences to ensure a good flow of words and ideas.

13. Simmer.  That means, put the writing away for a while.  Go get some lunch, play with the dog or kids, take a walk.  Do not think about the writing.  Focus on something else, like cleaning up the kitchen or putting in a load of laundry.

14. When you return, read the entire piece and revise it again.  This time it should read well, feeling fresh, written well, and well organized.  If not, fix the problems that you can now see (but could not see before your simmer time).  Revise until you feel the piece is ready for the world.  Perhaps you could find someone to read it, just to make sure you have achieved your purpose for this piece of writing.

15. Send it out to the marketplace.  And immediately start on something else.

Above all, have fun with your writing.

Originally published online at Wordpreneur.com in 2010.