Okay, I confess -- it's probably impossible to lose weight by writing unless you're taking on some bizaare literature-inspired hunger strike. However, I guarantee that it's possible to make your writing lose weight, put on muscle, and in so doing give it a power that you never thought it could have.

Most people make the mistake of either trying to edit their work as they go along, or go to the other extreme and spew out a few hundred words in the hope that what they mean to say will be in there somewhere. Good writers, the ones who are productive and who communicate well to others, put their writing on a diet.

How?

1. They know their subject before they get started. They do the research first and let it sink in before they write a single word.

2. They outline what they're going to say before they say it. Write down all the items you want to cover in what you're about to write before you write it. Next, lay them out in a logical sequence. Then you can start writing about each item without having to worry about where it goes, or whether you've covered everything.

3. They sit down and write without judgment. They write quickly because they already know their subject and they already have it laid out. They trust themselves to put it all out on paper. And they cut off the internal editor until after they have finished the first draft. Then they go back, take out the wasted words, and are ready to move on to the next piece.

You might think this process sounds too time-consuming, but you'd be wrong. You actually become more productive, clearer, and more creative by working in this way.

Try these three simple principles yourself the next time you have a writing assignment. And watch your writing lose the flab and put on the muscle!

Copyright (c) 2002, 2003 by Michael Knowles. All Rights Reserved.