100 ways to improve your writing - Gary Provost 2019

Make a list
Nine ways to overcome writer’s block

Some writers will not write a magazine article until they have constructed an outline that is longer than the article they intend to write. Other writers begin with no outline at all, though they probably have a vague outline in mind.

How long or detailed your outline is depends on the scope of what you have to write and how secure you are with the material. But an outline is just a list of elements you want to put into your writing, and for any story or article you should make some sort of list, even if it’s just three words scribbled on a scrap of paper. Write some key words for the issues you want to cover, the facts you want to point to, the questions you want to pose. Glance at the list as you work. This will help you decide what to write next.

If, for example, you want to write a letter to your lawyer describing the skullduggery your husband has been up to since the divorce agreement was signed, you might scribble a list that looks like this:

1. Cheated me on the car payments.

2. Sends support checks late.

3. Tells the kids lies.

Even if you are writing something short, such as a press release, it’s a good idea to make a list of essential elements. Making a checklist: “Time. Date. Place. Price.” Newspaper offices are always getting press releases that don’t mention what time the pancake breakfast at the Boys’ Club begins.