A lot of people want to start writing but don’t know where to start. Maybe you can’t find the words to express yourself or maybe you’re worried about what others will think. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to start getting your thoughts out there that can help you grow into the writer you want to be.
The trick is to start with lists.
Lists are perfect for the aspiring writer. They’re not time-consuming to write and they follow a formulaic pattern. They’re also great for self-expression. The lists that come easiest to us are the ones that focus on what we care about. Do you love books? You could probably write several lists about the stories that speak to you. Are you a foodie? Crafting a curated list of places you’ve enjoyed will let you reflect on your past adventures and help others locate the great dining experiences around them.
It doesn’t need to be about things you’ve done either, a list of aspirations is also perfectly acceptable. Make a list of places you’d like to visit someday. It can say a lot about you, give others an idea of where they might like to travel, and serve as an easy way to remember where you want to go when the opportunity for travel arises.
If this all sounds great but you don’t know where to begin, don’t worry. Here’s an outline of the steps you’ll need to write your first piece.
Step 1: First, pick a subject. Most people tend to get hung up on complicated subjects that require them to say a lot. Keep it simple for your first article. General subjects like books, TV shows, and places are easy to work with.
Step 2: To go along with your chosen subject you’ll need a focus. A focus is what you’ll be writing about around that subject. For example, if your subject was books your focus could be the best books you’ve ever read. A focus doesn’t just have to be on the best things, you could also write about things you like, things you don’t like, what you think others might enjoy, and whatever else you feel comfortable with.
Step 3: It’s time to brainstorm once you have a subject and a focus. This works best as a writing activity. Write down the subject and focus at the top of the page and begin listing the items you think would go well on your list. This process can take a while sometimes. Take a break if you get stuck. Sometimes a walk, a movie, or some personal time will bring new ideas to mind. When you have at least five items you can move on (more than five is great).
Step 4: Take some time to go over your items. If you like everything you have written down you can move on to step 5. This step is an opportunity to identify the items you feel most comfortable writing about. It’s hard to write about something you don’t care for. Identify the list items you like best and move on. If you don’t end up with enough items, go back to step 3 or consider an easier subject.
Step 5: Next, for each list item you have, write a short blurb. It doesn’t have to be long. Twitter is a good example. A minimum of 140 characters should be approachable and capable of expressing your thoughts. You’ll probably find that you’ll want to write more. The blurb should address the focus you’ve chosen. If you feel really creative you can also find a photo to go with each list item.
Step 6: All you need to do now is organize your list items and their related blurbs. For example, if you’re trying to rank things then you might want to make sure the items are in the right order. You can also add a title at this point. Your focus is an easy title to go with if you can’t think of anything else.
Step 7: You’ve done it! You’ve completed your first written article. You have a lot of options for how you can publish it. Sites like WordPress and Medium are great places to publish your thoughts but look around for the options that fit your needs.
Hopefully, this guide is helpful. You may find that after your first article you’ll be energized to write even more. Go for it!
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