JUST WRITE! Not every post has to be a masterpiece

If you have read my stuff for awhile, you will know that I complain about a lack of focus on my part. Yet I kick out 2 or 3 posts a day. Even considering that I go back to my blog at least once a day for something that I have already written, I am still putting out stuff consistently.

How do I do this when I can't stay focused? For myself, when I write, I like to prepare beforehand; for non-fiction by researching positions, judging evidence, collecting citations, outlining the argument, and then by making an argument; in fiction I like to know exactly who the characters are, then base the story around them.

In the state I am in, I find it hard to do these things on any disciplined basis. I lose interest, then do something else like zoning out.

To beat this as far as posting decent material here on Steemit, I pretty much do a flow of consciousness thing, then I add two or three elements that I have to focus on, BUT that I know won't add much time....I know that I will lose interest and will put out a crappy post the more time I spend trying to write a perfect post. It's not like I spend ALL day drooling. I can string together two or three thoughts at a time ;>

To let things flow, I go through the following "process". It's not a checklist as much as a few gentle pushes to my brain.

• Thinking
  
  By ALBA-BALAMAND (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By "thinking" I don't 100% mean sitting down and coming up with a subject, an outline, an argument, support, and a conclusion all at once, and then writing everything down.

What has interested me over the last 10 minutes? Did someone write a great post that I would like to address in a different direction? What kept me up last night? Did I REALLY say everything I wanted to say in my last post? What do I want to know more about right now?

I answer just ONE of those questions, and I have something to write about. Bam, I slap that idea down in Notepad (even though I have been writing off the cuff in Steemit with no issues for the last two weeks...knocking on wood here!

As you go through these "steps", it will very often create new ideas to apply to the writing that you are working on, or to a new, and maybe even a better idea.

Thinking begets thinking

• Outlining
  
  By Dbtutor at English Wikibooks [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Yes, I am talking about that boring thing you slept through in English. But instead of putting together some elaborate chart of "A1Iaiii", I am suggesting that you break down your idea into three or four main ideas. The breakdown doesn't have to be perfect, and some concepts may be pretty closely related (put those next to each other). Slap them down on paper, well.. on your screen. As you think of sentences that apply, add them to the right sub-idea.

This is also a good place to throw in some supports, whether you have them already, or you think of something you'd like to add. The web is a huge place, and you can brush on an idea and then give your reader a link to investigate that idea later.

Don't forget to add an introduction and a conclusion.

First you tell em what you're gonna tell em, then you tell em, then you tell them what you told them

• Writing
  
  By WikedKentaur (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Well, you have already started writing. You have your overall idea, and the main points. You have probably come up with a line or two you want to share, so plug them into the right spot. Summarize, analyze, and compare. Sometimes just doing that gives you additional ideas to work with.

Using transitions between ideas gives you more sentences. Explain WHY the two ideas are related.

• Add pictures
  
  By Colin and Sarah Northway from Wherever, We find ourselves (Beautiful machine) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It has been stressed over and over again on Steemit that posts with pictures gain more response from readers, as it helps them understand just what the hell you are talking about.

This doesn't mean you have to add photographs...video and drawings also help the reader. My own readership has shown me more love since I started using pictures to my writing! (AND THANK YOU ALL!)

You say that you don't have any pictures to use, and that you don't draw? Well look no further than:
https://steemit.com/steemit/@stevescoins/the-suggestion-for-blog-posts-is-to-use-pictures-so-where-do-you-get-pics-read-on

Finally, looking for pics can give your writing new ideas and perspectives to work with.

• Using and re-writing old material
  
  By Mazi99 at English Wikipedia (Own work by the original uploader) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I feel no shame in re-using my blog material. I get no hits and no comments over there. I have the gut feeling that Google has taken me out of the SE loop because I don't tonguebathe the DNC with the appropriate cultish glee. I do get response here, some good, some bad, and some well-thought out that I still don't agree with.

You probably have oodles of stuff from Facebook and Myspace etc etc. Re-use it. You may have to validate yourself if Cheetah bites your ass, You can rewrite it, you can simply repost it, and you can begin new discussions with it.

Don't get mad if Cheetah points you out, simply respond to the comment and justify the use of your own material. Maybe you'll need to validate yourself. So what? Do it with STYLE and you may get some upbucks (Monies form upvotes).

• JUST LET IT FLOW
  
  By Harikuttan333 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I didn't feel like writing anything about anything an two hours ago. I started with the "process" above which started out as a complaint about me not having any damn focus. Note to everybody: complaining is bad posting; don't do it. Turn it into a tutorial on avoiding a situation, but make it POSITIVE.

Sometimes, as ideas begat ideas, you get a gusher!