You wake up in the morning excited about a big project you’re working on. You’ve got a deadline to meet, and you know that the last thing you need is to be stuck in a creative rut. So you log on to your favorite creative website and start writing. Half an hour passes, then an hour, then two hours. You start getting a little bit worried that maybe you’ve chosen the wrong website, because there’s nothing significant happening there. You scroll through the articles and find one about a famous person’s tragic death, then it hits you: this is the kind of content people are most likely to click on! So you keep writing. Another two hours pass, and you’ve just finished your first draft. You saved it as a word document, because that’s the convention on your platform of choice, and you feel happy and satisfied that you’ve finished a piece of important work. You could have sworn that you weren’t that interested in politics, but since you submitted it to a popular political website, this is what came out.
Sometimes our interests change, and we end up writing about things that aren’t necessarily our strength. If that’s been happening to you, it could be that you’re looking for the wrong kind of content. What you need is content that speaks to you, and that you can connect with. Something that makes you feel like you’ve got a handle on it, but also like there’s still more to learn. This is where the concept of ‘editing’ comes in. Once you’ve done some research and found content that resonates with you, it’s time to start editing. You’re not going to publish this first draft as-is; you’re going to go back and revise it, adding more information, tightening language, and making it easier to understand.
Start With Research
When you start a piece of writing, whether it’s a blog post, a letter, or an article, you should do some research first. This doesn’t mean that you have to know everything about the topic in advance; in fact, often the best articles are those that were written as the author got more and more familiar with the subject matter. However, being well-versed in a topic doesn’t hurt, and it can even help you create more original and impactful work. When you do your research, you can determine what information is relevant to the topic at hand and what information is superfluous. It can also give you a good idea of what kind of language is suitable for use on the subject and what language can be left out. When you have a fairly in-depth understanding of the subject, it’s much easier to craft an original piece, and that’s what you want, right? To stand out from the crowd? To write something new that hasn’t been said before?
Revise, Rewrite, And Edit
After you’ve done your research, it’s time to start revising, rewriting, and editing. When you have a piece of writing that you’ve already started, it can be difficult to know where to begin the revision process. One option is to look at what you’ve already written and ask yourself questions about it. If you’ve picked up this book, for example, and you see that it’s not what you expect, you can ask yourself why you decided to pick it up in the first place, or how you feel about the main character. Some questions you could ask are: does the language used match my existing knowledge of the topic? Does the piece present different perspectives from those discussed in school? Does the structure make sense, and is it easy to follow? These questions will help you identify potential places for improvement and build on what you have already written. When you’ve got a few places to start from, it can be easier to see what needs to be changed rather than starting from scratch and hoping for the best. Once you’ve made changes and additions, it’s time for another round of editing. You’re not done yet! Yes, you want to ensure that your work is free of errors and that the language is polished, but you also want to make sure that it’s the best it can be. After all, this is the piece that you’re going to be judged on at the end. This is when you need a fresh set of eyes to look it over and provide some feedback. Even if you’ve done your best to ensure that your work is error-free and of the highest quality, there’s still someone else out there who hasn’t been as careful as you, so it never hurts to have someone else take a look. When you reach this stage, the editing process should be relatively simple. You’ve got some content that you want to share, and you’re not even sure where to start. All you need are some high-quality editor’s tools, such as the ones from Fudgejack, to help you polish and perfect your work before hitting that publish button.
Make Changes
Now that you’ve gotten all the feedback you need, it’s time to make the changes you deemed necessary. This can be a tedious process, especially when you’ve got lots of material to work with. When you’re changing words and phrases, you can use online tools like the one from Fudgejack to make your job easier. For example, if you decide that ‘articulate’ doesn’t quite fit the bill, you can find alternatives such as ‘clarify’ or ‘explain’ and then replace these words and phrases with the new ones. You can also use the tool to make suggestions for content, language, and structure that you believe would improve the piece. In addition to the content tool, Nuwber, which I’ll discuss next, similar tools allow you to make changes to language and style (called ‘editing’ in most cases) to existing articles and blog posts. Making changes to existing content can be challenging, especially when there are multiple versions scattered all over the place. Sometimes it’s easier to start from scratch and create an entirely new piece, especially if you’re just running out of ideas or if what you’ve written isn’t turning out as you’d hoped. In most cases, however, editing and making changes to existing content is an invaluable tool for any writer, regardless of experience. It makes for consistent content, and it allows you to flesh out ideas and make your writing better across all platforms.
Format For Different Media
You’re a fan of both written and audio-visual media, so you’ve decided to combine the two mediums and produce a short film. To make this film, you’ve contacted a production company that has experience in short films, and they’ve agreed to produce one for you. After you’ve finalized the details and contracts, it’s time to start formatting. The first step is to break down the script into individual scenes, and this is usually the part where you have some help from the professionals. They’ll work with you to create a logical and consistent flow from one scene to the next, ensuring that the story makes sense, and, most importantly, that you follow what’s been agreed upon. It can be tricky to create a flow from one scene to the next when the scenes are all unconnected, but with some help from your production company, this shouldn’t be a problem. They’ll know what to keep and what to throw out, ensuring that nothing gets in the way of your story. Once you have a complete script, it’s time to start making detailed notes about the characters, setting, and plot.
Distribute To Media
Once you’ve got your script formatted, it’s time to start distributing. This is usually a tedious process, especially if you have to contact multiple media outlets to get the word out about your short film. Once you’ve got your script in decent shape, it’s time to look for distribution. It can be difficult to get established filmmakers to take a chance on your work, but by working your network, connecting with people who might be interested, and pitching your story, you can make it possible. Some great places to start are: Google Play and Apple iTunes, which most people are familiar with; Reddit, which is a great place to find both content and users who might be interested in your film; and Vimeo, which is similar to iTunes in that it’s a place that most people are familiar with, but, unlike iTunes, allows you to upload your film directly to begin with, rather than having to go through a third party distributor.