Communication & Writing

The 12-Step Writing GPS A complete end-to-end writing process that takes content from initial goal-setting through publication. The framework treats writing as a systematic craft rather than an act of inspiration, with explicit steps for research, drafting, editing, and reader service. Steps: 1. Goal: Define what you want the content to achieve and what action you want the reader to take 2. Reframe: Put your reader into it. Shift perspective from what you want to say to what they need to hear 3. Seek out data and examples: Gather evidence, statistics, stories, and references that support your point 4. Organize: Create a paper outline of key points with bullet points for each. Don't worry about writing yet; you are welding the scaffolding for ideas 5. Write to one person: Identify a specific reader and write as if speaking directly to them 6. Produce The Ugly First Draft: Write as fast as you can using your outline as a guide. Give yourself permission to write badly, as if no one will ever read it 7. Walk away: Put distance between the draft and your editing. If under deadline, at least take a walk or get coffee 8. Rewrite: Read your story like a reader. Edit it to fit what the reader needs to know, not what you want to say 9. Give it a great headline or title: Craft the headline after the piece is written, when you truly understand the core message 10. Have someone edit: Get external eyes on the piece for clarity, logic, and reader experience 11. One final look for readability: Check flow, formatting, scanability, and overall reading experience 12. Publish, but answer one more question: What now? Tell the reader what to do next. Never leave them hanging Why it works: By breaking writing into discrete sequential steps, the framework eliminates the paralysis of staring at a blank page. It separates the creative act of drafting from the analytical act of editing, which are cognitively different tasks that interfere with each other when mixed. Common mistakes: - Trying to write and edit simultaneously, which produces stilted, overthought prose - Skipping the walk-away step because of deadline pressure - Writing for yourself instead of reframing for the reader in step 2 - Publishing without answering 'what now?' for the reader in the final step - Crafting the headline first and then trying to make the piece fit it