Writing is a craft in a class by it self. However, just as any project or job that needs to be completed in a timely manor, it needs a well laid out plan.
One of the first things to be considered is resource into the topic and the content about what you’re writing about. Always remember that content is imperative and adds value and ingredients to your credibility, which would transcend to people drawing close to your work. I believe that this should be done before you attempt to write your manuscript.
You then want to create an outline to follow. This will help prevent you from writers block or quieting at the half way point, because you now know what you have to do to complete what you have started. With the resource and the outline done first, you have a good chance at a well formatted manuscript. The outline should consist of a Headline, an Introduction, a Body, a Conclusion and in some cases, a little information about the author.
Headline – This should be most appealing as possible because readers read this first then decide if he or she will continue reading the rest of the manuscript. In most cases they will just take a glance at the cove and scan over the headline, and if it’s not appealing they will put it down and move on.
Introduction – many has made the mistake in putting too much into the introduction, this will give way for the reader to lose interest in continuing at all. They will feel like they have already figured out the end result. Just introduce the problem you will be discussing in your manuscript or write a few paragraphs some relevant experience while introducing the plot.
Body – This is where you discuss all the solutions to the problem you expressed in the Introduction. You want to break up each point into separate paragraphs; this will give the reader a good understanding of what he/she is reading. A good idea is to create a sub-heading for each point to allow an easy read. Most people scan before reading, so sub-headings work in your favor.
Conclusion - this is where you summarize your story and pressure a call for action. Make sure there is a solution to the problem you explained in the body. Be direct in leading the readers, make sure they will fully understand what it is that needs to be understood.
Some things to keep in mind:
Write with passion and inspiration – in other words, write like you would explain something to your friend. Don't worry too much about correcting mistakes or how it sounds. As long as the flow of thoughts is flowing, keep writing, you never want to break the train of thoughts. You can always correct them later. When you are finish writing, take a break, then come back and take a fresh look at what you have written, and make your adjustments. Make sure it flows well by clearly identifying the problem, providing a solution and concluding with an action step or steps. It’s a good idea to get someone else to read it over. Often they will find the mistakes that you missed. One of the most important things is going over your manuscript several times. This will help you catch the little things you might normally over look.
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