Have you ever read someone else’s writing and thought about one of the following things?
The answer is: content.
In writing, content is KING. (Duh, right?) But every book, article, report, manual, sermon, speech, poem, even bathroom graffiti, has one thing in common. Content is what good writing is made of. But the one vital step that too many writers fail to address is compulsive content gathering.
Everything you write has the potential to be spicier, funnier, smarter, more interesting, and more relevant. And the steps you must follow to make this happen are the following:
1) Open your eyes and ears
2) Write it down
3) Write it down
4) Develop your own system
In this article, I’ll walk you through this process using one of my favorite pieces of content as an example.
STEP 1: Open your eyes and ears
April 4, 2004: the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, the day my friend Drew ran the St. Louis Marathon, and the day I came to the conclusion that Americans are the most impatient people in the WORLD .
After the race I invited Drew to lunch to celebrate his admirable achievement. We finished our meal at The Galleria’s The Pasta House and headed to the parking lot. In the empty space a few spaces below my car, I saw a tattered and broken box. God, I hate trash.
“One second Drew; I’ll be right back…”
I moved closer to take a closer look. A plastic bag labeled Kay-Bee Toys slowly brushed against my jeans like a suburban tumbleweed. On the pavement was a credit card receipt and discarded instructions for a toy truck.
I picked up the receipt and noted the date and time of purchase: April 4, 2004. 11:56 am
My watch said 1:41 p.m.
Incredible. The only thing I hate more than crap is impatience.
Well, that was one of my favorite illustrations that I have used in various writings/speeches before. Now, that was not the whole story. And I’m sure, based on that incident, he could have used other metaphors or taken a different angle on the trash. But impatient. Because impatience just KILLS me! However, the only reason I can still share that experience is because I followed the first step, which was Open My Eyes and Ears.
I could have easily jumped in my car and driven Drew home. But I noticed that huge, colorful pile of trash and I HAD to go there.
Do you ever notice, hear, smell, see, or experience things like these? Did people walk by and say phrases that stuck in your head? Good. That means you have a writer’s ear. And the next time it happens, don’t walk away. Be curious. Don’t be nosy, but notice the point where you might discover some valuable content.
STEP 2: Write it down
So, you MUST capture it. This is a part where many writers fail, most likely because they are not prepared with content capture tools. If you’re a writer and don’t carry a pen, paper, notebook, journal, camera, tape recorder, or charcoal with you at all times, you’re missing out on great content. In fact, I can’t think of a single possession that has been more valuable to the successful collection of my content than my pen and notebook. It’s leather, the size of a card holder, and I don’t go anywhere without it. Ever. And I can take it out and be ready to write in less than three seconds, like a cowboy’s gun or a guitarist’s pick.
A notepad like this is easy to find at any luggage store. They cost around 15 dollars. Or, if you’re more of a journal person, awesome! But whatever content capture tool you use, make sure it’s easily accessible in your car, bag, office, or on your person at all times, because you never know when inspiration might strike. The point is; you don’t want to find yourself saying, “If only I had written it!”
Now, you don’t need to write much. All you need to do is record a few sentences explaining what happened. You can also write some details, but focus more on capturing than creating. This will come in handy when you review your notes later. And do it fast. If possible, write it down as soon as something happens. That’s why you should always have your capture tools ready to go. Because just like forgetting names, jokes, and phone numbers, content is something the mind easily scrolls.
STEP 3: Write it down
Then comes the fun part: transferring a valuable story, anecdote, moment, experience, smell, sound or conversation into useful content. At the end of the day (or week), reread your notes. If you’re like me and your handwriting looks like a monkey trying to write the Hebrew alphabet, this process can take a few minutes. Still, looking back at what he has written will bring the experience back to life. And then it’s time to write it down.
Start a new document on your computer, or if you prefer the “old-fashioned” way, grab a blank sheet of paper. Write that particular piece of content. Look for themes, lessons, larger images, connections, and symbols in your experience to make it a good fit for a book, article, or speech.
For example, the story you just read about the discarded toy box was written in one of my seven journals about a year ago. In fact, the exact sentence I just read on the page was:
“4/4/04 – Toy truck…can’t wait…galleria lunch with Drew.”
To give you an idea of how this process is completed:
1) Just now, I flipped through my diary…
2) I saw that story about garbage…
3) And decided to include it in this article.
Wah-la!
STEP 4: Develop your own system
The nice thing about compulsively collecting content is that when you start searching for it, and when you start recording it, it will show up EVERYWHERE. Unusual, unexpected, interesting and different writing ideas will attract you!
I started taking this whole “content thing” seriously in 2004. I was working on a new book and wanted to use a plethora of great stories, illustrations, and examples to back up my ideas. So I developed a system. And that’s the last step in this process.
This is what I do. It may not work for everyone, but perhaps the structure of such a system will stimulate some ideas of your own. It has several components:
CAPTURE TOOLS
WRITING TOOLS
ORGANIZATION TOOLS
All technical designations aside, I think there are two main differences between “People Who Write” and “People Who Are Writers”:
PEOPLE WHO WRITER… Have natural writing skills, creative ideas, excellent grammar, unique style and tone, and a passion for the pen.
PEOPLE WHO ARE WRITERS…have everything from that last paragraph PLUS the awareness to keep their eyes and ears open for great content, the preparation to capture that content, the discipline to transfer that content to writing, and the organization to Create your own system that turns thoughts into things.
Which one are you?
