What could be more depressing than useless fluff? On the other hand, what could be worse than the feeling that you have a word count but no idea how to meet it? Here are some suggestions for getting a grip on the need to write a certain amount of useful material.

1. You either have enough in your head, or you don’t. It’s important to discover what you know. If you are a veteran of the topic you are writing about, you will be surprised (I often am) at how much you know, but haven’t yet put down on paper. Let’s say you’ve been assigned an article on running a daycare center. Perhaps you’ve never run any kind of business, but, on the other hand, you have two children who went through two or three different daycare providers. Use the knowledge that you have to set out your article.

2: If, on the other hand, you’ve been assigned the task of evaluating the healthiest ways of feeding lions at the zoo and have never even been to a zoo, do your research! Visit the closest zoo, first of all. Build on what you learn with internet research and interviews.

OK, feeding the lions is exotic. Perhaps you’ve been asked to profile a new employee. Take them to lunch, or for a walk. Look at the photos on their desk; find out how they like their new city, what they do on weekends, in addition to their perceptions of the new job.

3: In general, aim to acquire more information than you will need. How delightful to suddenly realize that you have 50 percent more content than is called for.

4: DO NOT use the word count tool on your computer until you are confident that you are nearly finished. Remember the saying, “A watched pot never boils?” Same thing for counting words.

5: Allow your mind to play. If a seemingly crazy idea comes up when you are writing, put it down on paper/screen. Remember that you can always delete it, and it may surprise you with its relevance or attractiveness to your piece.

6: If you determine after much toil that the topic simply doesn’t have 1,000 words, or 500 words worth of content, then, well before deadline, talk to your editor. If you are the editor, then rethink the title. Consider turning the article into a side piece, or adding an interesting photo or graphic, or a second very short piece.

7: Ask yourself whether your problem is really a lack of anything worth saying. Perhaps, instead, you’ve just not thought enough about the topic. Do some quick research on the internet. Throw in some odd keywords and see what comes up. Call a couple of friends and play “word association” with them, to spark your ideas.

8: Try some humor to lighten the load and loosen the flow of ideas. For example, I find that “useless fluff” is actually quite amusing as a phrase, with its double letters and disparaging tone. If you can smile, you may be able to move ahead.

Copyright (c) 2010 Jane Sherwin. You may reprint this entire article and you must include the copyright info and the following statement: “Jane Sherwin is a writer who helps hospitals and other healthcare facilities communicate their strengths and connect with their readers.”

Author Bio: Learn more about Jane at http://worddrivecommunications.com/index.htm. Subscribe to Jane’s free monthly e-newsletter at http://tinyurl.com/2enrdqx for practical tips on communicating effectively with customers, clients, employees and the public.

Category: Writing
Keywords: meeting deadlines,deadlines,article deadlines