Writing doesn’t have to be a personal wrestling match.
And you don’t have to get all tired and sweaty taking pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).
Paragraphs are great when you have the time and patience to shape them.
When you don’t, write a list.
The thought behind writing a list is to get ideas out of your head without constraint.
Like, one day I wanted to share all the things you shouldn’t do if you ever have a brilliant idea.
I did them all regretfully and I didn’t want my readers to follow in my footsteps.
But I wrestled with how to share my story.
- I didn’t want my fear of being transparent dissuade me from sharing.
- I wanted the message to be plain for them and painless for me.
- I wanted my readers to remember not to miss out on any opportunities.
So I wrote a simple list of my mishaps and posted it here a while back.
It had a purpose as most lists do – like a grocery list, to do list or an event planning list.
(I never write grocery lists and I probably should, especially when I go to Trader Joe’s hungry. My grocery budget is always shot when I step up in that place. 😩)
Long story short, there’s power writing this way.
A list can:
- Help you write at the moment
- Create a structure to build out further
- Reduce overwhelm
- Simplify the writing process
- Get to the point
- Visually organize ideas
- Clear the mental clutter
- Focus your attention so you don’t veer off somewhere else (think need v. want: groceries and tasks)
- Draw your audience’s attention to something important
I’m sure it can do other things too.
(Like help you remember the important stuff)
Share your purposes for writing lists below in the comments.
We all might learn something new.
(Bulleted lists are cool too when they don’t appear as bullet barf on PowerPoints. Too many bullets are boring. Ask yourself, “Is there another way to present this?” I wonder where bullets came from anyway. I don’t recall them being around in the 70s or 80s, then again I was a kid and wasn’t paying attention to lists much back then.)
Don’t wrestle while you write.
There’s no need to get all tired and sweaty.
Writing can be simple, easy, and fun.
I had a ball writing this post and it didn’t take me that long to write it.
20 minutes tops
Hopefully, it didn’t take you that long to read it.
And that’s another point about writing a list.
It can be an easy, quick read for your audience.
So remember to write lists more often.
They can be as powerful (or more) as that paragraph you’ve been wrestling with all day.
When you’re ready to start writing, let me give you my hand, head, and heart. With my new service, Write at this Moment, we will explore ways to help you become a stronger, clearer, and carefree writer in 6 sessions. Visit Write at this Moment, an energizing, communal writing experience for aspiring bloggers and other writers who want support for their work to learn more.
