Comments on: Writing 201: Analyzing the Writing Process

By: Rich Maggiani

Rich Maggiani — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:12:05 +0000

Anything that works ‘surprisingly well’ must be continued. Good for you!

By: John Garison

John Garison — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:32:34 +0000

Hi Rich,

I add a step to the pre-writing phase, especially if I’m working with someone who’s not a ‘real’ writer. I call it an Annotated Outline or Writer’s Instructions. Both terms are apt. Basically, it describes the content without all the words and facts getting in the way. For example “In about three pages, list the possible data sources in alphabetical order, and, for each one, explain where the data comes from, its source format, and how to convert it into a usable format.” This lets the person who’s going to do the bulk of the work know exactly what to do, and it also gives reviewers and potential users a chance to see if the information that will be produced is appropriate and needs additions or deletions. It’s worked surprisingly well for me.

By: Rich Maggiani

Rich Maggiani — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:34:58 +0000

Sounds similar to what someone else told me today: If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute! LOL

By: Patty Duggan

Patty Duggan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:09:54 +0000

As one who has to look at a blank computer screen each day to come up with fresh copy writing, my approach is more and more that of Rich’s recommended writing practices.

However, I do recall my college days of dashing to the library the day before a paper was due, then sitting all night at my Brother electronic TYPEWRITER (hahahaha), hammering out a single draft of a six or more paged report of some ramdomness: Will Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” Campaign Lead Kids to “Just Say Yes” to Drugs — or something like that.

This was really fun to read. And I see the work of a great writer in there. If you can’t write underpressure, when can you?

By: Ben Bosher

Ben Bosher — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:46:09 +0000

Rich, I would add one more thing. Tyler was being polite when he said he writes his “parents” for money. My daughter, who has been out in the working world for 5 years now, refers to us a “rents”, but only to her friends! I happened to see some correspondence with one of her friends that she forwarded to us when we were recently planning a trip to see her out in California. At the bottom of a long chain of emails in which she was looking for suggestions as to what parts of San Francisco we should be looking for a hotel she used this term. I gave her some gas about it.

Ben