Efficiency: the Key to Getting Things Done
In full disclosure, I wrote this blog post during midterm week. It seemed as if high-stake-papers, exams, and expectations were piling out of the roof. I am not a procrastinator, but even I was struggling to get everything done. I realized that if anything would benefit me most, it would be the act of writing efficiently. Efficient writing can be the making or breaking point when preparing for a big deadline (i.e a tournament!!!). Learning to write efficiently hinges upon the writer’s ability to be cognizant of their own writing process. Here are the tools that I have found lead to efficient writing (I certainly used them to write this blog post).
Efficiency: Focusing on the Design
In building a rocketship, aerospace engineers do not simply impromptu a design. If they did, the ship would never launch. Even worse, the rocket might launch and then explode mid-air! Either scenario is not optimal. To avoid a disaster, any good engineer starts with a design. The design can be the most time-consuming part of the process, but it is essential. After perfecting the design, the engineers will send the materials to the mechanics, who will construct the ship. Only after these two steps can a rocketship successfully takeoff. Similarly, writing efficiently means investing the majority of your time into the designing process. By spending time on the design, you can save more time overall.
Efficiency in the Early Stages: The Brainstorm
An important part of the writing process is called the brainstorm. A brainstorm transfers thoughts from the brain to paper. A brainstorm does not have to be neat and tidy. The primary goal of a brainstorm is to offer clarity.
Topic selection should be conducted during the brainstorm. One should spend as much time as they need selecting a topic before writing. As Paper Success puts it, “The best topic is the one that is fastest and easiest to write about” (https://medium.com/@papersuccess048/3-secrets-to-writing-a-research-paper-fast-df4d1fa6e97e). By spending time in the early stages selecting a topic, a writer ultimately saves time overall.
Secondly, research is a part of both topic selection and topic investigation. There are two types of research: outside sources and introspection. Outside sources include, but are not limited to, articles, books, videos, and podcasts. Before writing, it is essential to read what others have to say on the topic. A common mistake is writing a speech purely based upon rhetoric andr researching later to fill in the blanks. This strategy ultimately results in writer’s block and a potentially bland perspective. Instead, research first and write second.
Introspection is an equally important type of research. Introspection consists of the writer’s thoughts on the topic. Personal stories are an excellent example of introspection. While outside sources offer a wholistic view on the topic, introspective research allows the speaker to share their perspective on the topic.
Efficiency During Research
In order to research efficiently, there are a few things to keep in mind. For outside sources, save all of the links and potential citations (such as the date accessed and the page number). Not every article will be a winner. Skim articles to save time, save the ones with the most potential, and then do an in-depth read through later. Additionally, writing down a short summary of each article or one sentence noting an important point will save writer’s time when they revisit the source. As for introspection, come up with what I like to call a “tidbits” page. This is a place to write down random things that you think of as you prepare. Shower thoughts, analogies, and personal stories can be just as valuable as outside sources.
Efficiency when Organizing: The Outline
The second stage is the construction stage. While we may have finished laying out the foundation, the rocketship is not quite ready for takeoff. By now, a writer should have established their topic and compiled content. The second stage of the writing process is dedicated to organizing their content. This stage is crucial to efficient writing. By having everything in order, the speech will come together quickly. Like a set of dominos, when arranged correctly, they topple over flawlessly. A good result is only produced when the individual dedicates time to the setup of the dominos.
Efficiency During Content Creation
Similarly, the more detailed the outline, the easier the writing will be. Although outlines can be tedious, they are crucial. At the beginning of an outline, a writer should establish their thesis. A thesis is one sentence that describes what your speech is about. It can either be a factual statement, a perspective, or an argumentative claim. An engaging thesis could even be a combination of these things. When constructing a thesis, one should ask themselves three questions:
What is this topic?
Why do I care?
Why should my audience care?
By asking these questions, a writer is giving themselves consistent ideas to carry throughout the speech. It is good to know a general sense of the argument that is being presented.
After establishing a thesis, organize the outline into main points. A good speech should have an introduction, a few overarching points, and then a conclusion (see link for ideas on how to structure a speech: https://virtualspeech.com/blog/how-to-structure-your-presentation).
Harvard University recommends organizing information by category. Although every point falls under the thesis, each point should still be organized by category (https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/outlining).
Categories are organized by topic sentences. A topic sentence offers a one-sentence summary of the following paragraph, while falling under the umbrella of the thesis. According to Purdue University, a topic sentence should be specific enough that the audience understands what the paragraph is about, but general enough for the need for expansion (https://owl.purdue.edu/engagement/ged_preparation/part_1_lessons_1_4/index.html).
Establishing topic sentences before writing gives you a clear focus and makes it easy to stay on topic. Without a topic sentence for every paragraph, there is a heightened risk for tangential points. One of the greatest keys to efficient writing is being organized in the beginning so that one does not have to rewrite later; rewriting is time consuming.
After coming up with a thesis and topic sentences for each point, outline the subpoints. An outline is like a skeleton. It provides structure, while saving the flesh of the arguments for later. The more detailed the outline, the easier it will be to fill it in.
Efficiency During The Writing Stage
Finally, it is time to start writing. By now, a thesis, topic sentence, and thorough outline will have provided a sturdy structure.. If the topic is focused and the outline is detailed, then the speech should come together quickly. In order to write, one must simply fill in their outline. This is a great opportunity to copy and paste research (outside sources and introspection). In order to write efficiently, all one has to do is turn the outline’s bullet points into comprehensive thoughts.
A key to the writing process is allowing oneself to write when they want to write. Personally, I have written at the bus stop, 1:00am, and (I am embarrassed to admit this) during a boring class. The best ideas are when you have ideas.
Finally, if you hit writer’s block, try explaining your idea to someone else.
(Some Very Efficient) Final Remarks:
Although it can be easy to want to jump to writing, it is more efficient in the long run if a writer invests a great deal of time in the initial stages of the writing process. If you commit to establishing a strong foundation, your spaceship will have a successful takeoff.
WORKS CITED
Barnard, D. (2018, August 03). How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples. Retrieved
October 26, 2020, from https://virtualspeech.com/blog/how-to-structure-your-presentation
Paper Success. (2017, November 29). 3 Secrets to Writing a Research Paper Fast. Retrieved October 26,
2020, from https://medium.com/@papersuccess048/3-secrets-to-writing-a-research-paper-fast-df4d1fa6e97e
Purdue Writing Lab. (n.d.). Topic Sentences // Purdue Writing Lab. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from
https://owl.purdue.edu/engagement/ged_preparation/part_1_lessons_1_4/index.html