PLANNING YOUR WRITTEN MESSAGE

For many writers, "getting started" is the hardest part. There's a limit to how productive staring into space and waiting for ideas can be. The secret is to stop chewing on the end of your pen or fidgeting with your mouse, and take action! Put your pen to the paper or your fingers on the keyboard and GO. Do your "thinking in writing." That way you'll have a record of all your ideas because, unfortunately, humans' short-term memories don't seem to be as efficient as a computer's. Don't worry about correctness or any of the conventions of writing at this point. Turn off your internal editor and welcome all ideas; you can eliminate later. The important thing is to get your ideas down on paper. And don't worry, no one is going to see any of this if you don't want them to!

Professional writers usually organize individual writing projects into separate folders. They also keep all their rough work until the project is finished in case they need to refer back to it.

Try any or all of the following strategies to get that writing task started:

Task Analysis	5 W's & H	Problem Analysis
Brainstorming	Audience Analysis	Talk It Through
Freewriting	Purpose Statement	Start Anywhere

Task Analysis: One of the most useful ways to start is by jotting down, in writing, exactly what is required to complete the task. If the task has been assigned by someone else, ask questions to clarify exactly what is expected. Jot down answers to the following questions: Who will be using this document? For what purpose? What effect do I want to have on my reader(s)? What points should be covered? When is it needed? Will it require research? Are there other similar documents that you could review as samples if necessary? ...etc.

Brainstorming: You're probably familiar with this tried-and-true writer's tool. Whether you list, cluster, free-associate, or whatever - just jot down as many ideas about your topic as you can without stopping to "think." It's very helpful to set a time limit; this pressure seems to force the brain to unlock and deliver up its hidden contents. Try 5-10 minutes and, remember, no stopping or eliminating. See also page 117 in your text. Check out the innovative brainstorming approaches devised by noted thinker Edward de Bono. If you're computer dependent the way I am, you'll appreciate the computer-assisted brainstorming techniques at this site. And a couple of Berkeley profs offer some tips for concept generation: conceptual blockbusting and brainstorming.

Freewriting: This technique is as the term suggests. Like brainstorming, the idea is to release as many ideas from your brain as you can without stopping to "think"; the only difference is that you should write in sustained prose rather than disjointed ideas. You needn't worry about any of the conventions of writing such as complete sentences, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. Just let your ideas flow. And really push yourself: set a time limit (minimum 5 minutes), focus on your topic (it helps to write it at the top of the page), and force yourself to keep going. Don't worry if you find yourself straying. Just keep writing and eventually you'll pick up your topic again. You'll be surprised at the ideas you uncover, and writing freely without worrying about correctness is very liberating!

If you're using your computer and you're a fast keyboardist, turn off the screen while you're freewriting. This prevents you from pre-editing before you've generated a good collection of ideas.

5 W's & H: These are the journalist's tried and true questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? & How?

Audience Analysis: Your intended reader(s) will dictate many of the decisions you make about the document you are writing. Brainstorm, in writing, about the people who will be reading your message. Try to answer questions such as: Who are my readers? What are their expectations? What do they already know about this subject? What do they need to know? How will they use this document? What cultural attitudes or personality traits might affect your readers' interpretations? What terminology might prove difficult for some of your readers? What question will be uppermost in your reader(s) mind? You also need to consider whether all your readers will use your document in the same way and have the same understanding of your subject. Often, you need to serve a variety of readers. A relatively reliable rule-of-thumb is to consider the reader who knows the least. See also pages 109-116 in your text. LJL Seminars offers some effective tips for audience analysis in oral presentations, but you can adapt these techniques to writing. If you're writing a technical report you might like to check out the strategies at this site. Some writers find it counter-productive to think about their audience early in the process. They say it inhibits the early flow of ideas; others find that a sense of what their reader(s) will be looking for is useful in stimulating ideas. I find it varies with the individual task. You'll need to decide for yourself when to start thinking about your audience.

It helps to visualize your reader(s) if you know them; if you don't know them, try to find out all you can and then use your imagination to anticipate.

Purpose Statement: Draft a simple purpose statement using the following template to help you focus:

My purpose is to (verb) (reader) about (subject in a few words).

Example: My purpose is to persuade my professor to accept my assignment past the due date.

Every piece of business writing contains a purpose statement but, of course, you will reword and locate it appropriately as you revise your document. See also pages 106-109 in your text.

Problem Analysis: Many business documents deal with problems that need to be solved. Quiz yourself (in writing): What are the problems? Which problem is the root problem (the one that creates/controls the others)? What are the causes? the effects? What are the possible solutions? Which are best and why? Your text shows you a very effective way to "factor a problem" on page 436.

Talk It Through: Talk your way through any of the above strategies while using a tape recorder to track your thoughts.

It's not recommended that you use this strategy in public places!

Start Anywhere: It's not written in stone that you must start at the beginning of a piece of writing. Start anywhere you like. If you feel like drafting a conclusion, go for it! I often find that the introduction is the last thing I write; it's hard to tell my reader where we're going before I've been there myself!