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Are you stuck on a writing project? Or is there something you’d love to write, but you can’t get up the nerve to start? In over 25 years of writing, I’ve found that writing happens on the page. Just start writing. You can’t do anything until you begin.

Other writers make the same point. In his book *Immediate Fiction, A Complete Writing Course*, author Jerry Cleaver recommends that when you’re writing, “you leap first and look later”. Cleaver believes that when you’re creating, you should let your imagination do the heavy lifting. Daydream. Pretend. Let your imagination lead you where it wants to go. You will write more, and reach places you can’t get to in any other way.

Writing, like any creative endeavor, requires that we use both sides of our brain, the left and the right. Our left brain is the dominant partner, and while we’re awake, our left brain is active. This means that when we think: “No way, I could never write a book” or “I could never write a screenplay” we’re taking the word of our left brain.

The creative impulse came from our creative right brain, but our left brain, which deals in realities, immediately said: “Whoa! No, you’ve no evidence for that. Couldn’t do that — you’ve never done it before. Wouldn’t work. Silly idea.”

Here’s a process to use to become familiar with writing before you look. Try it. It will feel unfamiliar at first, and you’ll worry about whether you’re doing it “right”. Be assured that as long as your body is relaxed, your left brain is (more or less) out of the way, and you’re freeing your creative right brain.

The Write Before You Look Process

=> One: Clear your mind

From the moment you wake up in the morning, your left brain is in charge. This side of your brain does a great job of getting you where you need to be, and helps you to fit into society, but it’s not creative.

To allow your right brain’s creative impulses to get your attention, you need to quiet your left brain. Any repetitive task will do this. Knitting and needlework are good. So are walking and driving, and taking a shower. Listening to classical music also works.

You can’t always be moving around, so it’s best to learn a sit-down process. The easiest way to clear your mind is to progressively relax every part of your body. If you’ve ever done any stress-reduction courses, you’ll know that in progressive relaxation you focus on your body from your toes to the top of your head, and gently relax all your muscles. Just take each part of your body in turn, and tell each set of muscles to relax.

When you first learn this process, it can take around ten minutes to become completely calm and relaxed. After a few weeks, you’ll be able to do it in less than a minute. You can speed up the process by mentally saying “relax” to each part of your body. In time, you’ll become as limp as cooked spaghetti whenever you say the magic word to yourself.

If you’re not familiar with progressive relaxation, here’s a complete course:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/har/les1.htm

=> Two: Write down your creative impulses

When you’re completely relaxed, gently focus on your breathing. You’ll find that your breaths gradually deepen more and more, and that they slow right down. This is the effect you want.

When your breathing has slowed, keep focusing on your breathing, but also think about what creative work you’d like to do. What would you like to write, if you could?

Just daydream for five minutes. If a creative idea comes to you, write it down, then drift back into your daydream.

You may not get any creative ideas while you’re daydreaming. They may come later as you’re doing something else. This is fine. Your right brain doesn’t “think” in language. It uses feelings and emotions to communicate. Your left brain translates these right-brain impulses into words. When you first start to actively try to get creative ideas, the communication between the two sides of your brain is slow. It will become more rapid the more you practice.

=> Three: Follow through on an impulse immediately if you can

Got a creative idea? Great.

If you can, follow through on it immediately. If you can’t, write down enough of the idea so that you can recall it easily later in the day. Vital: also write down any images which are floating through your mind. What mental pictures do you see? These are additional parts of the creative impulse that your left brain hasn’t yet translated into words. Capture them now by writing them down.

You can work with intensively with your right brain images by using Win Wenger’s Image Streaming process. Here’s how —

http://www.debateit.net/improvethought/imagestreaming.htm

Some writers find that they can immediately write an entire 2000 word article, or a chapter of a book after they clear their mind. This process is very powerful.

=> Four: Drop judgments — enjoy making a mess

You’ve followed through, and you’re writing. However, it’s messy. It doesn’t completely make sense.

Excellent!! This is exactly what you want. It’s your guarantee that the idea you’re developing is original. All creation starts with a mess.

Work on the project again tomorrow. Keep working. Chances are that you’re making a creative breakthrough. Remember it’s your left brain that’s making these early judgments. You can safely ignore them.

=> Five: Never assume that you “know” anything

You’ve cleared your mind, and when you read through your creative ideas later you get scared to death. You can’t do this. You can’t write a complete book, or submit your article proposal to Redbook. And you surely can’t dig that manuscript out of your bottom drawer and whip it in shape to send to a publisher.

Of course you can. Remember, your left brain is NOT creative. Clearing your mind so that you can let your creative right brain work will convince you that you DO have lots of creative ideas.

Unfortunately, your left brain doesn’t trust them. That’s OK. Remember that the part of your brain that’s belittling all your ideas is your left brain.

Ignore it. Trust your creative impulses and follow through. Clear your mind first, to muffle your left brain. Then let your right brain do the creative work.

Write before you look. That’s the entire process. Try it. You’ll amaze yourself.

Remember: the creative impulse that gave you the idea, also knows how to carry out the idea. So if you’ve got an impulse to write a book, write it. You already have everything you need to do it.

Author of many books, including Making the Internet Work for Your Business,
copywriter and journalist Angela Booth also writes copy for businesses large and
small, and consults on search engine marketing. Angela has written copy for
companies in many industries, ranging from technology and real estate to the
jewellery trade. Her clients include major corporations like hp (Hewlett Packard),
WestPac Bank, and Acer Computer. For copywriting services and marketing
advice contact Angela at angelabooth.com

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I have been writing professionally for more than two decades and teaching writing nearly that long. Every conference, every writing staff, and every class has always included some writer who asks: “How Can I Become A Better Writer?”

They don’t usually like my answer. “Practice writing every day and read to study the writing of others every day.”

They don’t like the answer for one of two reasons usually. Some people are looking for some quick-fix, magic formula that will make them a good writer in three easy steps. Although my suggestion involves only two steps it is pretty obvious that it is a long-term project. The other group of people will sneer at the first because they consider themselves “real writers” but they don’t like the answer any more than the others. They believe they have a gift that simply needs to be unlocked by the magic key that published, successful writers possess.

The simple truth is that there is no way to improve your writing other than to continually practice your craft. Write every day. Experiment, plan, revise, and revisit. Make challenges and deadlines and competitions. Push yourself and your writing will reward you. I promise. Write something inspired by a writer you admire and then write something completely your own.

However it is not enough to simply write in a vacuum — or an ivory tower. You must also read the writing of others. Read far and wide. Read fiction, nonfiction, poetry and song lyrics. Read argument and persuasion, read informative and biographical, read science and fantasy. Read talented and skilled professionals and read those who are still finding their writing feet.

You are reading to gain inspiration and confidence. You are reading to build your vocabulary and your stockpile of writing tricks. You are reading to learn more about the rhythms and patterns of language. You are reading so that as you write you will be able to develop your own unique voice.

Learning to be a better writer is not the work of a weekend or even a semester. Learning to be a better writer is a life’s work. If you really are a writer then you will never consider your work done. I don’t know a professional writer who sits back and says “I’m done learning now, I’m as good as I’m going to get”. Certainly it need not take a lifetime to reach professional status but you shouldn’t make that your goal. Thinking in those terms can hold you back from becoming the best writer you can be.

For example, perhaps the reason your particular project was rejected had nothing at all to do with your writing but was in fact due to your topic, the particular needs of that publisher, or even the mood of the editor when your submission came across their desk. The truth is that you cannot control when you become a published, professional writer, but you can control your progress toward improving your writing. Believe me, the stronger your writing becomes then the easier it will be to achieve that other goal. When you reach the point that you regularly deliver quality writing then you will find a market. If you write it the rest will come.

Deanna Mascle has been teaching and writing professionally for more than 20 years. Find more articles about writing at Word Craft Online at http://WordCraftOnline.com

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Nowadays, anyone with a computer can pound out an article in a few minutes and submit it to article directories on the internet. What about you? Has the writing bug infected you with a yearning desire to broadcast your thoughts in cyberspace?

One of the most important things to consider before writing an article is:

Writing Skill

You may not possess the skills required for successful writing. Spell checkers can pinpoint obvious spelling errors - but grammar and understandability are not as easily validated. If necessary, take a writing course (or hire a ghost writer).

The next item of importance:

The Idea

Always carry a notepad, PDA, or device with voice-recording capabilities. Whenever an article idea occurs to you make note of it - immediately. Don’t say something cryptic like ‘search engines‘ and expect to remember the details later.

The next item to consider is:

The Title

Which of the following titles is more compelling?

1) How to Write a Title for an Article

2) Do You Know How to Write a Good Article Title?

The first title is rather matter-of-fact and boring. The reader is likely to think:

‘Of course I know how to write a title for an article!’

However, the second title will stimulate the reader’s interest:

‘Hmm? I wonder - am I doing it right? Maybe I should investigate this article.’

Questions make good titles, as do statements or topics that may be considered newsworthy or controversial. However, never make the mistake of choosing a title that has nothing to do with your article’s content.

Now you have an idea and a title. What comes next?

The Plan

In the days of pen-and-ink and typewriters, a plan (or outline) was of paramount importance. A writer would make a point-form list of an article’s content. There are a couple of reasons for this approach.

1) An outline forces an author to develop a beginning, a narrative, and a conclusion that flows in a logical manner.

2) With the old-fashioned hard-copy method, edits were more difficult to accomplish.

Nowadays, it is easier than ever to think as you write - churning out the words in your favorite word processor - and making copy revisions after you are finished. However, you should still begin with some kind of a plan - in your head, if not on paper.

Next on your list:

The Introduction

Your introductory paragraph should provoke interest and provide some representation of article content. It should be an extension of your title, flowing naturally into the text.

The following entry on your list:

Content

This is often overlooked. An author may fill a page with words without actually saying anything useful. The end user must profit somehow by reading your article. Carefully research all information. If you are using the internet to ferret out facts and figures, choose authority sites - and never, never, NEVER plagiarize.

Next on the agenda:

The Closing

Unlike a novel where the intent is often to leave a booklover guessing, an article should come to an obvious end.

The Review

Now, read your article out loud. Difficult word combinations that you might not catch on visual inspection will soon become evident. Make sure you haven’t stuffed your article with big, important-sounding words just to increase the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. At this point, you may be wise to eliminate words or sentences in order to produce a more concise article.

Before you submit to article directories, double check all spelling and grammar. Leave your article for an hour or two to work on something else. In the interim, new thoughts may occur to you.

Once you are finally satisfied and all the edits have been made, run your spell checker one last time. There is no excuse - ever - for incorrect spelling.

Good Luck

And there you have it, folks - a quick summary of an article writing technique that has proved itself with many successful writers. Give it a try - and good luck!

Kathy Steinemann is a webmaster and author who writes for several websites, including 1st Rate Articles - one of the newest article directories on the internet.

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