Planning your Writing
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Planning your Writing

There are three basic approaches to keep in mind when planning your writing about a topic. One approach is to take a General approach, covering the main points of the topic. Another is Focused approach is to focus on one specific aspect of the topic. A third is Interview approach to interview people about the topic.

Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages.

  • General approaches are often easier to write, but they may not be as focused or specific as other approaches.
  • Focused approaches can be more informative, but they may not be as broad or general as other approaches.
  • Interviews approaches can provide the most detailed and specific information, but they can be time-consuming to conduct.

Discovering topics for writing

There is no one answer for how to find topics to write about. However, here are 3 general tips to get you started:

  1. Keep a running list of ideas: As you go about your day-to-day life, be on the lookout for anything that sparks your interest or causes you to pause and think. If something pops into your head, jot it down in a notebook or on your phone so you can come back to it later.
  2. Check the news: Staying up-to-date on current events is a great way to find potential topics to write about. Pay attention to the stories that interest you the most and see if there’s a way you can add your own unique spin to them.
  3. Ask your friends and family: The people in your life can be a great source of inspiration when it comes to finding topics to write about. Ask them about the issues they’re facing or the things they have faced so far.

Planning Topics for your Writing

  • Define your purpose for writing. Whether you’re writing for work or for pleasure, it’s important to know why you’re writing in order to help you choose a topic.
  • Consider your Readers. Who will be reading your writing? Keeping your readers in mind will help you choose a topic that appeals to them.
  • Brainstorm ideas. Once you know your purpose and audience, it’s time to start brainstorming ideas for your writing. Get a sheet of paper and write down anything that comes to mind, no matter how big or small.
  • Narrow down your ideas. Once you have a long list of ideas, it’s time to start narrowing them down. Ask yourself which ideas are the most interesting, the most feasible, and the most relevant to your purpose and audience.
  • Choose your topic. Once you’ve narrowed down your ideas.

Planning Steps in your Writing

However, you need to follow these steps to plan your writing.

  1. Know your audience. What do they know about the topic? What do they want to know? What are their preconceived notions?
  2. Be concise. Don’t overwhelm your reader with information. Keep your argument focused and your evidence concise.
  3. Be organized. Start your argument with a thesis statement, and then support it with specific evidence.
  4. Use examples. When you can, use real-world examples to illustrate your points.
  5. Be provocative. If you want your reader to think differently about a topic, be provocative. Use strong language, make bold claims, or take a controversial stance.
  6. Use active voice. When you write, use active verbs to show how your argument is happening. For example, “The industry is closing its doors” rather than “The door is closing.”

Generating Ideas for Writing

There are a number of ways to generate ideas. Some people prefer to brainstorm with a group, while others prefer to work alone. There are a number of techniques that can be used to generate ideas, such as mind mapping, free writing, and list-making.

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a technique that can be used to generate ideas. It involves creating a map of ideas, with each idea being represented by a word or phrase. The ideas can be connected to each other using lines and arrows.

Free Writing

Free writing is another technique that can be used to generate ideas. It involves writing down whatever comes to mind, without stopping to edit or revise. This can be a good way to get the creative juices flowing.

List Making

List making is another technique that can be used to generate ideas. It involves making a list of ideas, either on paper or in your head. This can be a good way to organize your thoughts and come up with new ideas.

Organizing your Writing

Organizing your writing is an essential task, especially when there is a lot of information collected. However, there are some methods that can make organizing information easier.

  • One method is to create an outline. This can be done by listing the main points that need to be covered and then creating sub-points under each main point. This will help to keep the information organized and will make it easier to write about.
  • Another method is to create a mind map. This is where information is organized into a visual format. This can be done by creating a central topic and then adding branches off of that topic for each sub-topic. This method can be helpful for seeing the overall picture and for brainstorming ideas.
  • Finally, another method for organizing writing is to use a spreadsheet. This can be helpful for organizing data or for tracking information over time. Spreadsheets can be used to create graphs and charts, which can make the information easier to understand.

Planning your Writing in Digital Environments

In today’s digital world, it’s more important than ever to have a clear plan when embarking on any online writing project. Whether you’re looking to write on a new topic or launch an online writing campaign, a well-thought-out plan will help ensure your success. Digital environments are becoming increasingly commonplace, and with that comes the need to plan for them accordingly. Here are a few tips on how to plan for a digital environment:

There are a few key things to keep in mind when planning for a digital writing project:

  1. Define your goals. What do you hope to achieve with your writing? Be as specific as possible. Whether it’s increased efficiency, better customer engagement, or something else, make sure you have a clear goal in mind.
  2. Research your audience. Who will you be targeting with your writing project? What do they want and need?
  3. Assess your current state. Take stock of your current digital environment and identify areas that could be improved.
  4. Develop a plan. Once you know what your goals are and where your current state falls short, you can begin to develop a plan for improvement. This plan should include both short- and long-term goals, as well as a timeline for implementation.
  5. Identify your budget. How much are you willing to spend on your writing project?
  6. Choose the right platform. What type of platform will best suit your writing project?
  7. Plan your content. What kind of content will you create? How will you structure it?
  8. Promote your project. How will you get the writing project done?
  9. Implement and monitor. Put your plan into action and keep track of your progress. Make adjustments as needed to ensure you’re on track to achieving your goals.

By Waqas Sharif

Mr. Waqas Sharif is an English Language Teaching (ELT) Professional, Trainer, and Course Instructor at a Public Sector Institute. He has more than ten years of Eng Language Teaching experience at the Graduate and Postgraduate level. His main interest is found in facilitating his students globally He wishes them to develop academic skills like Reading, Writing, and Communication mastery along with Basics of Functional Grammar, English Language, and Linguistics.

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