This doesn’t have to be pretty, make sense, or go into detail yet — it just needs to be words on the page.
I’ve seen lots of people talk about the idea of “writing ugly” at a high level, but not many that spell out how to do it.
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This doesn’t have to be pretty, make sense, or go into detail yet — it just needs to be words on the page.
I’ve seen lots of people talk about the idea of “writing ugly” at a high level, but not many that spell out how to do it.
Before you try to get too in-depth, create a loose framework. It should look something like:
· Intro
· Background
· Specific Points/Ideas/Tips
· Conclusion
This allows you to visualize what you'll build upon. It’s your road map.
You’ll want to focus on the middle section of your outline first. Nail down the examples or points you want to walk through.
Include internal + external resources (and quotes!) for reference. Bullet points work well here.
Once you have the middle section complete, look at it as a whole to determine what kind of background information you need to share so the reader has relevant context.
This could be a fictional scenario, a story, a quote — something that provides a backdrop.
These two parts come last. They should be similar, but not identical. (Sisters, not twins.)
Your introduction welcomes the reader with a conversational tone, while the conclusion goes over what you explained and reminds him/her of the one main takeaway.
When your ugly first draft is complete, you can then go back in to polish things up and perfect your work — but not before then. Self-editing while you write is the enemy of completion.
As the idea rolls around in your mind, you might have new thoughts/ideas to add. Let it marinate.
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