Writing every day for 365 days,  I have learned that writing is a process.

My daily writing workflow:

Open Google Drive. Click on the project folder. Click on the writing folder. Click on the “500 Words Per Day Challenge” folder. Click on “new”. Click on “Google Doc”, and wait. Click on the title and ask yourself “What day is today?”. Type the title. Repeat the title in the body and format it. Start to write. Get warmed by writing free-flowing. Stop at 30 minutes or 500 words. Back up all files.

If I am taking voice notes:

Open the voice recording app and start recording a test. Check that it’s recording fine. Delete the test. Start the real recording. Avoid getting hit by the car at the crossing. Stop the recording.  Upload it to your private cloud. Get back home. Transcribe it. Review the draft.  See “Daily Writing Workflow”. 

If I am publishing:

Read the draft. Create a privately or publicly shared draft for reviewers. Integrate suggestions and corrections. Check for spelling. Check style. Read aloud. Test final formatting. Create a Blog Post. Add tags.  Add category.  Add Excerpt.  Add SEO data.  Add illustrations, if any.  Check URL. Preview. Publish. Share it on Social Media: Forums, Newsletters, friends. Freak out on the two errors you’ve just discovered, and edit it again.

Writing is never just writing. Refine your word production workflows to support your habit-making approach or you will just be a hamster on a wheel.

This is Essay 17 of 30 in the my challenge One Year Writing: 30 Lessons Learned in 30 Days

1. The Journey is the Purpose (16 Nov 2020)
2. Writing is Thinking (17 Nov 2020)
3. Write a Lot to Write Well (18 Nov 2020)
4. Creative Loneliness (19 Nov 2020)
5. Be Less Ambitious, Be More Consistent (20 Nov 2020)
6. Writing builds your networks (21 Nov 2020)
7. Connect ideas now (22 Nov 2020)
8. Writing improves your memory (23 Nov 2020)
9. Writing makes you a better observer (24 Nov 2020)
10. Writing sets the focus on yourself (25 Nov 2020)
11. Dissolve your distractions (26 Nov 2020)
12. Writing reduces your jargon and slang (27 Nov 2020)
13. Walking generates ideas (28 Nov 2020)
14. Writing is like drinking coffee (29 Nov 2020)
15. Creativity makes you happy (30 Nov 2020)
16. Be smart, let it go (1 Dec 2020)
17. Writing is a process (2 Dec 2020)
18. Automate repetitive tasks (3 Dec 2020)
19. Publish text as digital text, not images (4 Dec 2020)
20. Why asking questions? (5 Dec 2020)
21. Facilitate growth by tracking habits (6 Dec 2020)
22. Type more, type faster, type better (7 Dec 2020)
23. Transcribe your thoughts to become an effective communicator (8 Dec 2020)
24. Write daily to become a better manager (9 Dec 2020)
25. Do it small to do it better (10 Dec 2020)
26. Don’t lose your mind. Back it up (11 Dec 2020)
27. Write daily to enhance your reality (12 Dec 2020)
28. If only I could be ten, again (13 Dec 2020)
29. Writing compounds despite everything (14 Dec 2020)
30. The habit of building habits (15 Dec 2020)