Insta-Pot Writing: Stew Overnight, then See What You Got!

Classification … PROSPERITY > #WRITING, #HOWTO, #NONFICTION, #FICTION … (QUICK-METHOD)
Overview … Outside, it’s supposed to be Spring, but it’s San Francisco weather (55 degrees) here on the mountain, and frost this morning. The air is crisp and chill, and I feel grateful in my room, where morning sunlight falls in stripes through the venetian blinds upon the white-painted wall, and I think back to writers long ago, working into the night by candlelight, and- And here’s how to write …

I’ve got lots of information to share, in upcoming articles: How to supercharge the persuasion in written materials, how to write a sales script, how to write an entire book in about a week, how to eliminate “writer’s block,” but today I simply intend to provide a simple overview: how to write.

Because lots of people don’t write, though it’s easy and fun. Folks just don’t know how. However, though many people think it’s difficult—when you approach it the right way—writing information or a story (or anything) is not actually difficult at all.

So here, plain and simple, is how to write.

The basic process of writing

The whole trick, in my experience, is …

• You look up stuff, make some notes, and ruminate for a while. Jot down every single idea, even silly ones. Don’t worry about the sequence at all. It’s just an unordered heap of ideas, and your subconscious will automatically begin adding new ideas and also structuring useful stuff without your noticing.

• After you’ve pondered and ruminated, and you figure your heap of ideas is probably done—because thinking about adding more ideas makes you want to barf—then go through the notes, notice what seem like the important ideas in your notes, and put a star on those.

• And then when you think you’ve got the important ideas marked, then just line them up so that, from beginning to end, it makes sense. Now you’ve got an outline, which is actually a road map of where you’re going.

• Then sit down and start writing; and write in a straight line through the outline. It doesn’t have to be good. Blather all you want. But go in a straight line.

• Then after you rest a bit, go back and clean up any parts that suck.

It’s a lot like an Insta-Pot. You throw some stuff in, let it cook for a while, then maybe let it cool a little, dish it up, and tweak as needed with salt, pepper, hot sauce, whatever it needs. Then you get to enjoy it.

The reputed “writer’s block” is an illusion

If you discover yourself staring at a blank sheet of paper, and not writing, then either you may not have done your notes and rumination; or you must may be feeling a ‘block’ which is actually just a kind of perfectionist interference from your own mind where you’re actually thinking of things to say and rejecting every one as it comes.

The cure to getting past “trapped by blank sheet of paper” syndrome is to get out of bed and before anything — no brushing teeth, no coffee — start writing any junk that comes into your head, related or not related, your dreams, your opinions, wild thoughts, any and every thought that comes to your head. After practicing writing stuff on paper, the block will vanish. This is a reliable cure. It’s the darndest thing.

How to make your writing “good”

Remember: When you sit down and write, if you can’t write *good* stuff (in your opinion), then *blather* on paper. You can always (1) write any kind of garbage, and then (2) take out the crappy parts later.

Because once you have a mass of writing, you’ll be highly motivated to tweak it.

How to know what’s “good”

And although it’s not always possible to say what’s the *best* presentation, pretty much anyone can use the A-B method to ask themself, “Which is better? A? or B?”

You always get an answer to this kind of question (from the subconscious). You’ll also discover that the answer is reliable.

There is no barrier to writing

Looked at this way, writing may take time, but there is no barrier. You will write stuff, and you will rewrite to have good stuff. It’s just that simple.

The only question to be answered

“What is the best way, or just a workable and reliable way, to choose exactly what to write?”

A simple question.

The Answer: The piece you’re going to write should aim at the goal that you have for writing it. Specifically:

• What’s your goal in writing the article, the book?

• What’s the article or book supposed to accomplish?

• Assume for a moment that you have written a piece that accomplishes these two things just swell. Now ask yourself, “If I’ve accomplished this, what are the steps along the way that I must have accomplished?

• These are your mileposts along the way. You’re working backwards from the goal to the beginning. And this makes sure that your article or book fits with what you want to write; and it makes sure you don’t leave out anything important along the way.

Now, often the answer to the questions here will be simple and clear and obvious.

Other times, maybe not so much.

So use the same technique to sort that out. Put it in the Insta-Pot, let it stew around, and then, in a while you take a peek, and you see what you got.

Clarity will emerge.

And you’re writing.

For further study

How to Write a Book — Quick and Easy

How to Destroy Writer’s Block in Two Weeks

Headlines that Hook

How to Write Advertising that Works

How to Create a Powerful Pen Name or Stage Name

(Check for further articles about writing in the table of contents, and subscribe to be notified when new articles appear. No fee, take what you need and enjoy the gift.)

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