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One House, Two Writing Processes, Part 1: Getting Started

One of my favorite hobbies is taking yoga classes at a local studio. While every instructor at the studio is vinyasa-trained (vinyasa is one of many styles of yoga), they all approach their classes differently. Some make detailed plans of their classes in advance, while others prefer to ask their students what they need at the beginning of class and incorporate their requests into a flow. Some instructors choose to do a mix of both. 

These subjective differences in teaching yoga mirror subjective approaches to writing. Every writer has a unique writing process—and that’s what makes reading their work interesting! The important part is to discover a process that works best for you. 

In this two-part series, we’ll explore the writing process from two different perspectives: mine, as a meticulous editor, and my husband’s, Bill Brenner, as a seasoned journalist. Our approaches may differ, but our goal is the same: to produce high-quality, engaging content.

As an editor, I approach writing with a structured, methodical process. Bill, on the other hand, describes himself as a “bull in a writing shop.” Despite our differences, we both recognize the complexity of writing and the skills required to do it well.

Let’s dive into the first steps of our respective writing processes.

1. Sparking the Idea

Every piece of writing starts with an idea. Whether it’s an assignment or a story burning to be told, the idea demands to be let out. Ideas can appear anywhere; I often find myself quickly typing them into my smartphone’s notes app, capturing the spark before it fades.

For Bill, ideas often strike at unexpected moments—in the shower, while driving, or even in the middle of the night. He’s been known to scribble ideas on whatever’s available, including the inside of a cold medicine box. The key is to capture the idea before it slips away.

Ideas for your writing are all around you; you just have to keep your mind and eyes open. I get ideas for this blog from working with clients and other freelancers, of course. I also get them from discussions in editing forums and general social media content. Even life experiences can spark a writing idea. A mundane trip to a glasses store inspired me to write a LinkedIn post that’s currently getting a lot of love.

2. Brainstorming the Idea

Once I have an idea, I start brainstorming. I ask myself questions like:

  • What do I want to say about this idea?
  • What are some connections I can make?
  • Who is my audience?
  • What else do I need to know?

This process helps me define the scope of my writing and identify any gaps in my knowledge.

Bill’s brainstorming process differs depending on whether he’s writing for work or his personal blog, The OCD Diaries (note that Bill no longer writes his blog). For his professional writing, he follows a specific style guide and keeps his audience of information security professionals in mind. When he was writing his personal blog, he focused more on expressing his feelings and experiences, trusting that his audience would relate.

3. Researching and Developing the Idea

At this stage, I build on my initial knowledge. I research and take notes, gathering more information than I think I’ll need. As former columnist for the Union Leader John Clayton said in a writing class, “It’s better to over-research and write from abundance. Then you can leave out the less-interesting stuff.”

Bill agrees that research is crucial, especially for his professional writing. He conducts extensive research and interviews for his information security articles. For his personal blog, his research was more experiential, drawing from his life with OCD, addictions, and related challenges. He emphasized to his readers that he was sharing personal experiences, not medical advice.

Researching is important, but be careful not to use research as a way to avoid writing. How much is too much? It’s going to depend on your writing project, but if you’ve researched the main points of your idea, it’s likely time to move on.

The Fundamentals of Writing Are Universal

Despite our different approaches, Bill and I agree on the fundamentals. Whether you prefer a structured method or a more intuitive approach, the key is to capture your ideas, develop them, and build your knowledge before diving into the writing itself.

In part two, we’ll explore how we move from these initial stages to creating our first drafts and refining our work. Stay tuned!

A version of this article originally published on June 9, 2011, on The Writing Resource and The OCD Diaries.

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