The Reading Writing Continuum, Step 4: Write to Draft the Ideas

Working from the organized list of ideas that you created in Steps 2 and 3, you are ready for Step 4, write to draft the ideas. When referring to a rough draft, I think of riding in an SUV, (speed, uniformity, volume). Here is what I mean:

• Speed – Good writing requires rewriting, so the sooner you complete a rough draft, the more time you will have to improve the quality of the message.
• Uniformity  – You will not be drafting blindly since you will be using your structured idea list, so you should find sticking to your plan easy.
• Volume – In a rough draft, quality is not half as important as quantity. The more you write, the more you can assess.

The Reading-Writing Continuum, Step 3: Read to Evaluate the Notes

Welcome to the 600th post of WORDS ON THE LINE, a blog I began on January 4, 2005, as a way to offer tips to on writing at work, school, and home for the more than 20,000 professionals across diverse disciplines who have attended my courses, workshops, keynote presentations, and webinars over the past three decades.

Although I refer to the Reading-Writing Continuum in steps, it truly is a seamless operation. Once we are in the composing process, we are not concerned about whether we are doing one or the other. While we can read without writing, we cannot write without reading. 

In Step 1, we generate inspiration and ideas through reading, and in Step 2, we lay down those ideas on the screen or page to recall them. Let's say in generating ideas for a proposal to purchase Product Y during Step 2, I have created the following random list:

problem

solution

benefit

cause

comparison: Product X and Y

status

impact

Now it's time to answer several questions:

1. Do I need all those ideas? I decide that the status is unnecessary because my boss knows the current situation. Now my list looks like this:

problem

solution

benefit

cause

options: Product X and Y

impact

2. Do I need new ideas? Now I choose to explain how long the problem has existed (history), how I did my research (method), and a comparative analysis of the options (comparison). So my list changes:

problem

solution

benefit

cause

options: Product X and Y

comparison: Product X and Y 

impact

history 

method 

3. Should I combine ideas? At this point, I realize that the problem, history, and impact go together, and so do the solution and benefit. Also, the options and comparison seem repetitive. This is the new list:

problem, history, impact

solution, benefit

cause

comparison: Product X and Y

method

4. Should I reorder those ideas? Finally, I put my list through an internal dialogue: What is the problem? What is the history of the problem? What is the impact of the problem on the business (impact)? What is the cause of the problem? What was my method for researching the solution? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option (comparison)? What is the better option (solution)? What is the benefit of the solution? Here is my final list:

problem, history, impact

cause

method

comparison: Product X and Y

solution, benefit

Now I am ready to write a draft. 

The Reading-Writing Continuum, Step 2: Write to Take Key Notes

Now that we have completed Step 1, Read to Know What to Write, we may realize that we also might have completed Step 2, Write to Take Key Notes. Doing both simultaneously may result it inefficient reading, but it is a big time-saver when writing. Taking notes benefits writers because they do not have to commit voluminous content to memory.

Here are six methods I have used to take notes for my drafts:

• A highlighter. To capture important ideas, use a 3D highlighter for paper or an electronic version in your computer or smartphone.
• A notebook. The old-fashioned but equally reliable way to take notes is with pen and paper. The problem here is inefficiency, as you will need more time to write notes and be more hard pressed to find the notes you're looking for without the benefit of an built-in filing system. 
• Index Cards. Noting reading points on 3" X 5" or 4" X 6" color index cards eliminates some of the inefficiencies of a notebook, because you can use different color cards for different themes (e.g., blue for history, red for problem, yellow for options, green for benefits).
• Stickies. Using 2" X 2" stickies for smaller writing assignments works well for adding and rearranging notes in the order you want to draft them, 
• Voice-recognition Software. I no longer badmouth this technique, as it has improved greatly. I use it especially when I feel restricted by writing on my smartphone or when I am taking notes on the fly, such as rushing down the street. The translated text is generally at least 90 percent accurate, and it works faster than I can type.
• Tape Recorder. I know what you're thinking: this is not writing. Nevertheless, this method works when reflecting on your reading while driving.  

The Reading-Writing Continuum, Step 1: Read to Know What to Write

My last post on the Reading Writing Continuum, which I have raised several times on this blog, is important enough for developing writers to discuss in greater detail. So over the next 10 posts, I'll take the Continuum step by step, starting with Step 1: Read to Know What to Write.

This point is vital for at least four reasons: overcoming inefficiencies, capturing ideas, affirming viewpoint, and honing perspective.

1. Overcoming inefficiencies. I know of nothing as powerful as reading to break though writing inefficiencies, such as writer's block, stress, labored drafting, and procrastination. Reading inspires writers to emulate the authors they read. This activity is no different from wanting to participate in a sport after seeing a favorite athlete perform at a high level. We forget our lower level of competency and compete just for the thrill of it.    

2. Capturing ideas. Some of the ideas from our reading will be noteworthy for sharing immediately or archiving for future reference. Focused reading on topics related to the writing assignment is especially helpful.

3. Affirming viewpoint. Once we read expert commentary on our topic of interest, one or two of three realizations may occur. First, we may recognize that we need to know more on the topic, so we'll have to read even more. Second, the reading may reinforce our belief about the topic with compelling new evidence. Finally, as has happened to me more often than I can remember, we may reverse our opinion, understanding that we had not thought through the topic thoroughly. This third realization, in turn, may result in one of three decisions: not to write about the topic at all, to write a more balanced piece on the topic, or to write on the topic with an entirely reversed opinion. 

4. Honing perspective. The more we read, the more we find about our topic. This discovery forces us to look for a new angle, one that other writers had not considered. Changing perspective is easier than we think, because only we can draw angles from our unique lives, whether we refer to our family experiences, working situation, or other social contexts.