Today’s guest blogger, Jeff Goins, shares the system he uses to write books and blog posts.
Excerpt from Jeff:
Most writers think writing is a one-step process . . . it’s a three-step process: coming up with ideas, turning those ideas into drafts, and then editing those drafts into publishable pieces.
The Three-Bucket System . . . how I get my writing done.
Bucket #1: Ideas
Capture ideas [and keep] in a place where you can return to.
Bucket #2: Drafts
Pull an idea out from the first bucket and start writing. Save in a draft folder.
At any given time, I have a whole bunch of half-finished chapters and blog posts on my computer begging to be edited and completed.
The point of this system is to think as little as possible and just do the next thing.
Bucket #3: Edits
Pull out one of those drafts and edit it. Either schedule it for a blog post or tuck it away in another folder called “Finished pieces.”
These are pieces of writing that are more or less ready for the world to see.
Putting it together
1. Collect Ideas. Shoot for five ideas. Write down a sentence or a phrase. Just enough to save the idea.
2. Write and Save.
When it’s time to write, pull one of those ideas out of that first bucket.
When you’re done, put this piece in the “drafts” folder and save it for later.
3. Edit and Publish.
Edit the draft. Then move it to bucket three, maybe even publish it on your blog or wherever. Then go to bucket one to pull out a new idea and start writing again.
Do this every day, and you’ll never run out of writing topics. You’ll never run out of things to edit and publish. You’ll never have writer’s block again.
As long as you remember: writing is not one thing. It’s three things.
Jeff Goins is the best-selling author of five books including the The Art of Work and Real Artists Don’t Starve. He shares his thoughts on writing, life, and creative work on his blog.
Click here to read “The System I Used to Write 5 Books and Over 1,000 Blog Posts” by Jeff Goins.
