Keep a stockpile of topical material.
Never throw away your accounts of what you’ve experienced; they might be come in handy for something you need to write.
That’s especially true if, like me, you struggle to write larger projects.
I much prefer shorter pieces. Things like a one-or two-paragraph social media post — usually prompted by something I’ve just experienced.
Last fall, I knew I’d need to write a feature article about a road trip with a group of Model A Fords. I avoided worrying about what I’d write by concentrating on that day’s drive. Each evening, I’d post on Facebook the day’s best photos and a few paragraphs highlighting its events.
A few days leter, I realized I was writing my feature on the installment plan. Crafting the final piece wasn’t quite as simple as pasting in each Facebook entry. But those daily entries — each written while the incidents were fresh — proved invaluable.
Looking to produce a book length project? The same process applies. A few years back, I decided to produce, as a promotional giveaway, a little handbook on the art of writing.
To find the material, I looked no further than the weekly blog entries I’d been posting since 2014. I needed only to select 52 timeless entries and perform a light editing.
