Systems Simplify Writing

A common misconception about writing is that it is spontaneous. Writers gaze out a window until an idea comes; they write with a frenzy, and then the masterpiece!

While this may be true for some, many writers I know need to wrestle with words and ideas before producing a polished draft. What might look like an off-the-cuff piece was likely hours of brainstorming, drafts, rewrites, and ruthless editing. As author Sarah Ban Breathnach says, “Making it look easy is the hardest thing in the world to do.”¹  

In addition to elbow grease, many writers rely on systems to get things done. Other professionals do this too. Systems simplify repeatable processes, whether launching a new product, designing a home renovation, carrying an article from idea to publishing, or simply getting up in the morning.

Let’s explore examples of how others systematize their work and then briefly examine how to do the same.

Chunking down & the story garden  

A medical writer acquaintance has an amazing ability that has continually opened new doors for her. It’s not that she has perfect grammar or is a walking dictionary of medical terms (although she does write well and knows a lot)—it’s that she can create systems for people to make their work easier. She “chunks down” an enormous project into smaller, actionable tasks.

Her example for me was a literature review. Literature reviews for medical device or drug development are enormous feats—writers need to review every piece of published scientific literature about a specific topic and then synthesize it in a non-biased way that still serves the purpose of their client. Chunking down the task makes it doable.

Another writer I know created his story-developing “garden” in a single app, Evernote. His ideas start in one notebook, then move into drafts and finished pieces in other notebooks. Keeping seedling ideas separate from developing drafts and fully mature stories helps him not lose a good one along the way. 

If you’re feeling unmotivated to write, having a system that takes the process step by step can make it manageable. Maybe you spend twenty minutes brainstorming, reviewing your notes, or writing just a single section. Making the process mechanical (vs. an act of passion or spontaneity) helps you move through the “stuck” times.

The story factory

Paulette Perhach, writer of funny and inspiring articles for major publications, loves systems. In her book Welcome to the Writer’s Life, Perhach describes her “literary factory” of getting stories onto paper:²

1. Ideas: note everything from overheard conversations to personal obsessions and shower thoughts.
2. Expanded notes and free-writes: informal writing on favorite ideas.
3. First drafts: gather your notes into a single draft.  
4. Favorite stories: edit favorite drafts into stories and get feedback.   
5. Edited pieces: the end-product.    

Each stage takes time and hard work, but in the end, the writer has wrestled a spark of an ambiguous idea into a beautiful and engaging product that others will (hopefully) want to read.

The manual generator

Creating an engine to automate a well-conceived process makes ongoing projects simpler. My first writing project was updating a manual for an industrial oven company. You’d think I’d need to be an engineer or at least a technical writer to do this. I was neither of those.

But I could jump in and write a draft because Livingston Communication Inc. had a system in place for updating manuals. Here’s that system:

1. Establish a baseline: find a similar manual the client has published already.
2. Renovate: gut the whole thing but keep the structure and the parts that won’t change for the new product, like safety symbols.
3. Follow the rules: naming conventions, indications for additional interviews and new images, and more can initially feel overwhelming but ultimately simplify the process.
4. Interviews: organize questions and then meet with engineers and product managers.
5. Update document: fill in unknowns with what you’ve learned during the interviews.
6. Review: send in a draft. Be ready to do some major editing when it comes back.
7. Repeat 3-5 as many times as necessary.

The manual generator worked – we updated four 200+ page manuals following this system.  

Generate your own system

Setting up systems takes time initially but pays off in the end. And the systems that work for some, like Perhach’s story factory or the Livingston Communication Inc. manual generator, may not work for others. The key is finding something that works for you and sticking with it.

Start creating your system by identifying repeatable tasks for each assignment (e.g., research, brainstorming, outlining). Then list the steps, look for ways to automate and organize, and give it a try. Systems won’t make things easier unless they become routine, so give your system several chances to perform before axing it.

Software like Scribner, Asana, Airtable, and Notion can substitute or augment homemade writing systems. Once again, what makes something easier for one person may feel confusing and burdensome for others.

Systems can help you write faster, keep ideas coming, and simplify editing. What can you systematize today?

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¹Ban Breathnach, Sarah. Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self. G. K. Hall & Company, 1999.

²Perhach, Paulette. Welcome to the Writer’s Life. Sasquatch Books, 2018.