Pre-writing activities were one of the things I wish I had known when I started writing four years ago. Writing would have been the sweetest thing to do right then, because I would have had the entire writing process at my command and be able to always write easily and effectively.
Writing is not difficult when you have a path, and part of this path is pre-writing things you should consider before you start. As someone who writes regularly and has experienced some writing failure and success over the years, I have come to realize that so many writers find writing difficult because they are not great writers before they write. They only rush to start writing when the need to write arises and then end up writing as if it is impossible.
If you want to be a great writer, there are some pre-writing tips that you need to give your mind a break to write more effectively. Trust me! This is what all the good and pro writers that you secretly look up to do within their writing space.
However, to be a great writer too, it’s time to admit that there are some tips and things you can do before writing that will increase your creativity and productivity when you write.
Things You Should Always Do Before You Start Writing
1. Create a Topic-specific Brainstorming Session.
This is first pre-writing activity. At this stage, your type of writing does not matter. It might be a blog post, an article, or academic writing. All you need to do first is investigate the topic.
In this step, you are expected to analyze the topic and think about what you already know about it. For instance, if you are asked to write an essay on "The Relationship Between Gender, Age Development, and Mental Health," you cannot just start writing without thinking about your foreknowledge of it. You have to know if you understand the meaning of each word and the whole topic, or if you need to make a profound inquiry about them.
If you are dealing with content writing, for instance, "How To Increase Your Reading Habit," even though you are the writer who came up with the topic, you still have to know if you have any knowledge at all about "reading habits." This will help you to understand the level of research you need and, most importantly, which aspect of the topic to target when searching online.
2. Research
This is the second step of your pre-writing preparation. At this stage, you will research the topic thoroughly by reading articles on the topic and either asking someone you know or researching the topic on Google. After all, you need to be sure that what you are writing will not sound like an unfinished or unsourced story. So, this will help you determine whether you can express your true feelings about the topic and whether you are assisting the reader in learning more about the topic.
What you should know at your research stage
- Identify your research area/focus
The research area is what you should know first. This might be a small part of an area you have not been introduced to. This will help you know what to look for in your research so that you do not spend a lot of time searching for the wrong idea or data.
- Review your research.
Before concluding your research, you must study your research. You need to be able to tell if the resources you have gotten so far through your search are relevant. You are also free to exclude and include materials, as this will help you know what exactly you are looking for and what you can use in your research.
- Make use of tools
Tools like dictionaries and Google are very useful for your research process. They will help you find words with which you are unfamiliar and learn what they mean. These are the main tools that you need to understand and appreciate for writing your essays and posts.
3. Check Samples
This stage is quite similar to the second stage because it also requires studying and reviewing. To make writing easier for you, you can spy on writers who have already done something similar to your topic. You do not have to copy them, just get ideas from them. This is what I do whenever I get stuck writing or when I am confused. There is nothing as clear as getting samples of what you need.
4. Reading
After you have researched relevant materials for your topic, including samples, You are expected to now sit and read. This will help you understand and get some new ideas about your topic. For instance, when I am preparing to write "How to Get More Shoppers In The Country," I do research online and read up on how we can attract more shoppers to our stores.
The major benefit of this is that I got ideas about my topic, and it was through reading that I was able to get these ideas. In this case, I was able to understand how we can sell more online and how we can increase the traffic to our websites.
Also, when you are reading, you are expected to jot down any ideas you discern. This way, it is easier to learn the exact kinds of details about your topic.
5.Write Out the Outline
The last stage of pre-writing preparation is to write your outline. This is what you have to do for any written work. Here, you will write about your topic, using sentences as headings. You do not need to write all the sentences; you just have to divide the sentences into subsections. After writing the headings, just check the section to ensure that you have written it in the right place.
Then, proofread your writing and come up with corrections if you have made any mistakes. If you have made any mistakes, this will help you revise the piece and make it better. Doing this will help you see the flow of your topic and what should be in the story before you start writing. This will also make your writing more engaging because your idea is all on the paper and you can see what you need to put where. Here is an example of a well-explanatory outline.
Finally, after you have written your outline and checked it again, you are ready to start writing.
It is easier to do all these pre-writing preparations first and then write your article. Otherwise, if you start writing the first thing you want to, you will end up making a mistake or ending up with a lack of knowledge of your topic.
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