Web Content—The Writing Process

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A masterpiece does not happen with a blink of an eye or snap of the finger. Similar to conducting a surgery, developing a program, or driving a car, writing is a process. However, it is no cookbook formula. There is no need to follow it step-by-step, lest you commit a mistake along the way. Instead, it serves as a guide to keep your thoughts organized.

Unlike science or mathematics where everything is black-and-white, writing is as broad as the spectrum of colors. It is for that reason that writing is custom-made. It is not tailored to fit all. There are a gazillion ways to write a sentence or present a topic.

No matter. Whichever communication channel you are writing for, the process can be summarized into three parts: Read, Write, and Revise.

Read. Considerably the initial phase prior to writing your piece, reading is about gathering data relevant to your task. Data refers to research, publisher guidelines, and client instructions.

Although this stage may be excluded in fiction and prose, it is necessary for manuscripts requiring factual sources and content. Pro's on the subject matter might skip this phase and proceed to writing, basing content on experience and knowledge. Otherwise, this is quintessential prior to writing. It is impossible to write about something you know nothing about.

Write. After reading up on your topic, it is time to put everything together. As mentioned earlier, the writing process is not a cookbook formula because no one can say for certain how many minutes or hours it will take you to complete each phase. Moreover, you could start conceptualizing your article while gathering data. Some writers prefer to know everything about the topic before writing anything. Others work on their initial draft before researching.

The process is a guide to keep you from discarding files containing unfinished sentences. It helps you construct logical ideas and keep your thoughts on track.

Revise. Though the final stage, revising is when the real work begins. It is about reading, re-reading, proofreading, and editing your work. Unless you're the publisher, your work will go through the editor or editorial board, publisher, and client for additional revisions or approval.

If you think reading and writing are exhausting, revising will test your patience and desire to stay in this profession. Here's a little something Stephen King wrote about writing for yourself and editing with your audience in mind:

When you write a story, you're telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story. Your stuff starts out being just for you, but then it goes out.

Write to your heart's content. Write about everything you know and what you believe your readers ought to know. Write without reserve. But once you start editing, be ruthless. Mercilessly restructure it for your target audience. The article Web Content-Writing for the Internet offers additional insight about preparing content for the Web. If you are publishing for platforms new to you, search for reliable resources or refer to your publisher's guidelines.