New writers and the most seasoned veterans alike can benefit from reminders to brush up on their pre-writing and post-writing work. In an effort to prevent mindless errors that occasionally occur as a result of complacency, inefficiencies, or rushing, leverage the below tips before and after writing to improve your process and yield the best result possible.
Pre-writing
Understanding the Content
Know the facts: Identify the facts driving the content using the 5W1H approach: who, what, when, where, why, how. You may think you know them all, but writing these out will help keep you accountable and shine a light on any blind spots you did not anticipate. Knowing the answers to these elements will ensure you are prepared to write, helping you feel more comfortable and confident; if you are not able to address one of these areas, you now know what you need to find out before you can begin.
Evaluate your resources: Having a strong understanding of what is expected of you will help you know how to manage it. This is especially important in marketing careers (even more than fiction writing). For example, if you know you have to write a press release, then there are certain things you'll need to know how to do, certain angles you’ll be responsible for capturing, and certain information you'll need in order to get your point across. Knowing this, you can evaluate the expectations and your knowledge and abilities, then ask for whatever you don’t have. And if you are given the resources and information, it is up to you to organize that information and put it into the appropriate format, positioning, and tone.
Outlining
Consider the strategy: Knowing the objective behind a piece – what value you’re providing, what goal you’re hoping to achieve, what point you want to get across – will provide a beacon for you to follow as you write. Without strategy, you may be writing blindly and find more editing is required afterward. Strategizing beforehand increases efficiency and keeps you focused.
Before you start writing, try structuring your content with an outline - paragraph 1 will talk about x, paragraph 2 will talk about y, etc. Laying out the information by topic will help you stay focused; as you fill in the information, you will be keeping yourself accountable as you work (rather than having to wait until afterward).
Post-writing/self-editing
Try reviewing your work after you write it with one filter in mind. Go through the entire piece reviewing for focus, then go through the entire piece reviewing for grammar, etc.
Focus – overall: If a reader walks away with one key point, what is that point? Have I made that clear throughout?
Focus – per paragraph: What is the point of paragraph 1? Say it in a few words. If you can't, it's not clear enough or focused enough.
Perspective: Are you writing in first-person, second-person, or third-person?
Language: Am I maintaining my voice, tone, and messaging strategies? Does it sound too formal or too informal for my brand? Do I have a list of taboo words or topics that I can check this against?
Evidence: Have I supported my points with strong enough evidence to persuade the reader to believe me?
Flow: Do I have strong transitions? Am I weaving one solid thread from beginning to end, or do I jump around too much? Will the reader be able to follow, connecting the same dots I’m laying forth?
Grammar: Grammar, grammar, grammar! While grammar overlaps with some of the other items mentioned here, let's fill in the gaps: Check your punctuation, verb-tense agreement, and sentence structure. Remove redundancies, review uncertain language, and change passive voice into active where applicable. Ensure correct spelling throughout, make sure sentence lengths are varied and readable, see where you can tighten your writing (change "in order to" to "to," remove "that" where unnecessary, etc.), and clarify wherever possible.
Goal: Did I start with a goal in mind for this asset, and have I achieved it?
Review your work from the reader's perspective. Assume the mindset of a) your target audience member or b) someone who isn’t familiar with this topic. Is the value clear? What's the point of this overall piece? What is the heart – the main takeaway? Is that clear? Compare your hope with what is actually written. Try stepping away from your work before doing this so you can approach it with a fresh, objective eye.
Read it out loud. (Yes, whispering counts - it's better than nothing.) You will catch errors in grammar or syntax that might have slipped through the cracks.
I'd love to hear how these exercises have worked for you! Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.
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