Required Writing Rule #2: Know Your Material

Rule number 1 for required writing projects is: "Know Your Assignment."

Rule number 2 is: "Know Your Material." What does this mean?

It means you have to gather, think about, select from, and organize material on the subject of the assignment. You have to get to know this subject so well that you are confident in what you have to say about it.

Most people who struggle to complete required writing projects do so because they don't give themselves enough time to collect material on their subject and think about it. They don't understand that the most important part of the process of putting together a writing project is not the actual writing; it's learning about the subject.

They are also victims of the myth that says that you can't write anything down about your subject until you are ready to write a draft. This myth deprives us of one of the most important ways to use writing: not as a tool for drafting, but as a tool for learning.

PRACTICE: USE WRITING AS A LEARNING TOOL

Take a writing assignment and make sure you understand it. Now use non-stop writing to collect everything you know now about your subject. Don't worry about being organized or about spelling or grammar. Do keep your pen (or your fingers on the keyboard) moving, even if you have to repeat something you just wrote. Write down what you already know —and write down what you don't yet know: your questions, your intuited vague thoughts, anything that comes to your mind. Do this collecting practice for at least ten minutes.

Now (or at a later time, if you prefer), read through everything you have collected. Mark all the things that stand out for you: bits of information you can include in your project, questions that will help you learn more, and so on.

Now write down the answer to these questions: Where am I with this project now? What do I need to do next to keep moving the project forward? Write down as many ideas as you can, then look at your list and decide on a sensible order for your next steps.

Suggested next lesson: Know Your Audience (coming soon)