Organizing the Writing Process: Steps for Writing Successfully

Organizing the writing process: something every writer seems to struggle with. You’re not alone if you find yourself hopping from idea to idea, writing words only to edit them away and then have to rewrite them again.

It’s hard. There are days I find my brain all over the place. But I find it helps keep my writing process more streamlined and efficient if I divide my time into stages. Whether I’m writing blog posts or fiction, it helps me work faster and smarter.

Now, I will mention these steps I’m about to share are not rules. They are really the loosest, most helpful of writing guidelines. I still hop from stage to stage as I need to. But having a plan for organizing the writing process helps me make better use of my time.

Four Stages for Organizing the Writing Process

These are the basic steps I go through each time I write. I start with planning, then writing, and finally, editing and revising. Oh wait—I forgot about hitting publish. Of course, I also have a few helpful tips for you with each stage.

Start by Planning

The first step of any writing is finding your idea. Time for a brainstorm?

I’ve written plenty in the past for fiction writers looking to find inspiration. This post has some of my favorite tricks. But I also recommend brain dumping, which is a fun way for anybody to get their ideas out. There’s also taking your ideas from writing prompts.

When I’m blogging, I like to keep a list of possible post ideas on my phone. I also do keyword research to find out what my readers are searching for. I then dream up posts based on those keywords!

Here are a few great ways to get writing ideas:

• Ask friends & family new questions
• Read a new book
• Listen to some different podcasts
• Find a list of prompts in your niche or genre
• Rewrite an older piece of your writing from a new perspective
• Talk with other writers

You can hop right into writing (if you’re a pantser). Or you can do a little more planning to solidify your ideas.

For blogging, this means coming up with what points you’ll want to cover in your post. Oh, did I mention research? This is when you want to thoroughly research any topics you need to. Trust me, if you try to research later, when you’re supposed to be writing, you’ll get sucked down an internet research rabbit hole. Save yourself and your productivity from distraction by doing it now.

For fiction writing, there are a million different things you can do to plan. We’re talking about story outlines, character sketches, planning your settings, period research, plotting your scenes—too many to list. Find the planning stages that help you write a story by trying plenty. And of course, just skip any that don’t help you out. Not everybody needs character dossiers.

Now You Can Get Writing!

Here’s the part of the writing process that’s in the name! Writing. It’s time to sit down and commit words to the page.

There’s really no right or wrong way to do this. Use a pen and paper, use your laptop, whatever works. I do still have a couple writing tips, though.

Don’t Get Distracted

Easier said than done, right? But you gotta try. Close the door and ignore your texts. I find putting on headphones gets me focused sometimes while also sending that “Don’t talk to me” look to would-be interrupters. Set your phone out of arm’s reach (or least turn your social notifications off).

Find Productivity Tricks that Suit You

Improve your writing process by messing around and experimenting with all those little tricks to help you work smarter. Have you ever tried the Pomodoro Technique? Just work 25 minutes, break for 5, and your brain works harder!

There are, of course, a million possible tips. Some writers I know like to listen to video game soundtracks or playlists designed specifically for maxing out your productivity. I wrote a post full of tips for helping you write faster! Maybe one will work for you?

Finally, Start Editing

Editing is not fun. It can often feel like the longest step in writing. You’re so close to done, but your work still has so many errors that need fixing!

Stay calm, though. Once you get into the swing of editing, it’s not so hard.

Start by revising. Any areas of your work need major rewrites? Begin there. Tackle all the major editing tasks first. There’s no use correcting commas in a paragraph you’re about to delete or rewrite anyway.

Then, once the big revisions are done—all the big rewrites, moving ideas around, cutting the unnecessary bits—you can handle the little stuff.

Polish your work’s spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Proofread your text at least twice, and don’t forget to read it aloud to spot errors.

This all sound tough? Fortunately, I know two perfect writing tools to help. For all your revising, Hemingway is a developmental editor that helps you write clearer and simpler. Grammarly is a great spelling + everything else checker to catch any errors you may make.

Hit Publish!

If you got an idea, wrote it out, and got it polished to perfection, your writing should be ready to publish. Or share, or submit, or whatever else you need to do.

If you’re writing a novel, then it’s time to send it off to your beta readers. Short story? Time to start submitting it to possible publishers. If it’s a blog post, then you’re probably ready to publish it on your website. Whatever it is, don’t let your new reading languish among your drafts—take your current energy and keep going.

That’s All There Is to Organizing the Writing Process!

So there are my best tips for organizing your writing process. If you’re not certain what you want to write about, start by planning what you want to write. Then, leap into actually writing your idea. Edit and revise the draft till you’re satisfied. Finally, publish or share your writing away!

Any questions about how to get writing smoother? How do you organize your writing routine? Tell me in the comments!

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