A Beginner's Process of Writing Newsletter

Hello readers! I hope you all are having a great weekend. Today I want to discuss something I struggle with but genuinely want to improve. I am going to discuss the process I have started following to improve the quality as well as the frequency of my newsletters. This year has been tough in terms of writing consistently so far. But I am slowly getting back the momentum and I would like to share the actions I am taking to write in a better and regular manner.

A. Pre-Writing Phase

1. Read regularly: Writing is an opportunity to share ideas and thoughts. To improve the quality of your ideas and thoughts, you need to have access to high-quality ideas. One of the best ways to do this is by reading good books. The more good books I read, the better ideas I will be exposed to. I have started consciously exploring different genres to explore different ideas and ways of looking at life.
2. Explore different topics: I try to explore different topics while writing. If you follow my newsletter, you will see there’s no specific topic around which my newsletters revolve around. I am at a very early stage of my newsletter writing journey hence haven’t picked a specialization yet. It helps me avoid boredom as well as discuss anything I want to share with my readers.
3. Set up a routine that suits you: I write on Friday and Saturday as these are my weekly holidays. I have made a habit of writing every Friday and Saturday between 7PM-9PM. It helps me to approach writing my newsletter in an organized manner. I block my calendars based on my preferred writing time. This acts as a reminder and also makes me feel guilty if I don’t write during that period. Guilt is a strong motivator sometimes.
4. Mobilephone = Distraction: I have always found my mobile phone as the biggest distraction during writing or doing anything that requires deep thinking. It has significantly hurt my capacity to focus. I feel like just the existence of it in the room damages my focus even if I don’t touch it. Even writing on a laptop that has internet access is a risky business in terms of maintaining focus. I try to keep the mobile phone in another room while writing. Initially, it feels tough but you will find the positive value once you start practicing it.

B. During Writing

1. Write about something you understand well and enjoy talking about: Writing is hard work. It requires our brain to focus and think for a significant period which gets translated on a paper. If I pick a topic I am good at or/and enjoy talking about, the job gets easier. If I feel positive energy about a topic, it’s easier for me to transfer it to readers. So I try to pick a topic accordingly.
2. Know the reader: Who am I writing for? University students? Working professionals? Entrepreneurs? I try to have an ideal reader persona in my mind and write for that person. I try my best to write in a simplified manner. Nobody likes to read complicated stuff where there is room for explaining more simply. But of course, I try not to oversimplify things so much that the wisdom gets lost. Slowly learning to strike a balance.
3. Decide the segments of the article: At the first stage of writing the newsletter, I divide it into key segments. It helps me to create a map of the writeup. Once I have the map, I can start with the contents of each key segment. Segmenting the whole article in key pointers also helps me to plan separately and makes the process less overwhelming.

C. Post Writing

1. Writing and editing are separate tasks. Don’t do these together: The writer in us and the editor in us are different people. Let them work separately. When I finish an article draft, I don’t start editing right away. I separate myself from the situation. I take a break and start editing later with a clearer mind. It helps me to see the writing with fresh eyes. Now I am not looking at the draft as a writer. I am looking at it as an editor with an energized mind. It helps me find flaws and improve the writeups.
2. Have a feedback provider: Before I publish my write-up, I send it to one/two of my friends who are good writers/read a lot. I listen to their opinions and try to improve the newsletter if I find the suggestions value-adding. It always helps me add a different dimension to my writing. Your writeups are like your babies. Other people will look at your writeups more objectively than you do.
3. Celebrate the success: Writing is hard. Celebrate it! Whenever I complete a write-up, I give myself a gift. It can be anything from eating chocolate to watching Netflix for 30 minutes. Attaching this hard work with a reward gives me more motivation to complete it.

If you are someone who is planning to write but is not able to manage time, I will highly recommend you follow this method. I am happy to talk to you and share further to help you start writing. I am sure you have some great ideas to offer to the world. All it needs is some focused effort. I am rooting for the writer in you!