by John W. Paulus

Created on: February 24, 2009

Developing a writing plan is one of the most important steps in learning how to become a good writer. Developing a writing plan not only helps you to write more efficiently, it also helps you to write more effectively. There are several important steps in developing a writing plan that you need to follow.

Decide when and where you are going to write. It is important to choose the right time and location for your writing. Not everyone needs to sit in a Caf somewhere sipping on a Mochachino in order to write effectively, however you do need an environment that is relatively free of distractions. You want to make sure that you don't chose to write in the middle of the afternoon when your children are coming home from school and there is general chaos in your house. You also don't want to write in a busy location if you are easily distracted. While some people, for example, may be able to write in the middle of a busy shopping mall other people won't be able to focus. Know your own limitations and put those into play when you decide when and where that you are going to write.

The next step in developing a writing plan is deciding how you are going to write. Some people write much more effectively with a pen and paper then they do with a computer, however, most people chose to use a computer to write. You can use a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word, or you can choose to use a program that allows you to only see the word processor such as Q10. Choose the right medium for you.

Next, you need to choose what it is that you are going to write. You might have a writing assignment that a client has hired you to do, or you might have decided that you would like to write a novel. Deciding what to write is nearly as important as deciding when and where and how to write. Make sure you have a good idea of what it is that you are going to write before you ever sit down.

The final step in developing a writing plan is to outline your writing. You may be surprised to find that spending just a few minutes before you write outlining the ideas that you want to write about, can not only speed up your writing, it can also help your writing flow much more effectively. When you outline your writing ahead of time, it is easy to move from one step, or one scene, to the next. Depending on the type of writing that you are doing, you might want to do just a brief outline that highlights major points, or you may want to do a more in depth outline that goes into some of the meat of each particular thing you are going to write about. Regardless, putting together some form of an outline or another is an essential part of developing a writing plan.

Developing a writing plan is more of an art than it is a science. Over time, you'll figure out which of these techniques and tactics are the most essential for you and for your writing.

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