Thread by @wudanyan

I recently realized that I am somehow able to write reported features quite fast? (e.g.: I just banged out 3600 words of a story over the last three days and 6.5 hours or so) So I thought I'd share some tips because writing is often painful.

Organizing my reporting is super important. On big reporting trips, I type up all my handwritten notes into a Google drive folder *every single night* There's something about reading my notes over and typing them again that really helps cement what's important

Also critical is putting my notes away, going for a walk or taking a shower, then coming back and writing in my diary the most salient details and conversations of the day. This is my 'filter' of what's important.

After all the reporting is done, and as soon as possible, I outline like mad. This is a variation of what @rkhamsi taught me during my internship. Write down all the important things that you want to include in the story. Don't be precious about the order.

Don't be precious about getting the words right. The important thing is getting it out there (Ideally every point will become a paragraph in the story, but I'm pretty lax about this.)

Then, go for a walk. Cook a meal. Walk your dog. Let everything simmer. After some time has passed, come back to your outline.

I like to cut mine up into pieces and then put it back together like a puzzle.

This is me "storyboarding" at my AirBnb last week. Photo: @Weinbergrrrrr

After you come up with your outline, type it up! Congratulations you're done with the hardest part

Then comes the ~fun~ part: actually writing the story. I've found that if I just follow what's already laid out the writing comes super fast.

Also in my outline I have notes to myself on where to find quotes / notes.

And like the outlining process: don't be precious about your words at first. Don't be precious about your transitions (or lack thereof.) Just get it all out there.

I am very hard on myself on my first edit, so I try to give myself an easier time for the first draft. :-) I've found that this method makes writing a lot less agonizing for me.

This whole 'don't be precious' idea goes very counter to how I've been raised. But writing is messy. ("It's art!") So I've just resorted to inevitably making a manageable mess at first then trying to clean it up.

And if you’re a freelancer, your hourly rate goes down the more time you spend on a piece since we don’t get paid hourly! (I also can’t express how much of a fire it lights under my butt when June naps next to me and I need to meet my writing goal during her nap time. )