How writing what you know helps you write what you don't

Get Great Copy Shortcut #4

Writers are frequently told to “write what you know.” Okay. Great advice if you’re writing a book, an article or an essay on the topic of your choice. But when you’re a corporate writer, marketer or small- or medium-sized business owner, you’re more likely to be responsible for writing about things far less personal than, say, your passion for cooking, your experience in homeschooling or your advocacy for open adoption.

You can, however, adapt the “write what you know” philosophy. Begin with a brain dump of all that you know about your topic. (I suspect you’ll be surprised at just how much you do know.) Then roughly organize the copy into categories. Next, give each category a subhead. You’ll probably think of an additional category or two for which you have no copy. No problem. Just create the subhead and leave some blank space below for filling in.

For example, if you’re writing a history of your company for your web site, you might begin with how the company was founded, what transitions it has gone through and where it is today. Your subheads might look something like this: The Early Years, The Growing Years, Today and The Future. Or like this: History, Products & Services and Leadership.

At this point, it doesn’t matter what you write, only that you write. By using this Get Great Copy Shortcut, you’ll not only have a solid start on your potential copy, you’ll identify specific knowledge gaps. And only then will you know what you don’t know. And only then can you decide whether to investigate it and include it or leave it out altogether.

By JanO on 10/27/08, In writing, Tags advice, business, how-to, web, writer's block, writing