Shipulski On Design

Sometimes I have nothing to write about.  Generally, that means I’m run down.  Too much going on, not enough exercise, no clarity.

I struggle to choose a topic.  I start to advance a theme, and then I tell myself no one will care about it, or it’s not meaningful.  I choose another line of thinking, and my brain does the same thing again.

I quiet myself and scribble on a piece of paper.  I give myself some time and a deadline.  I start writing at 8:00 PM on Wednesday and complete my post by 10:00 PM.  A deadline helps.  It may not be the best post, but it will be done by 10:00 PM.

To start my writing process, I reflect on what I’ve read and the podcasts I’ve listened to.  I remember conversations and struggles.  I smile at interactions I’ve had with people I care about.

I usually end up writing about people/teams and often choose images of animals to reinforce the sentiment.  The people element is important to me.  Companies are run by people.  Processes are run by people.  Decisions are made by people, at least until AI makes the decisions.  That will be a sad and dangerous day.

I sometimes spend an hour looking for the right image to accompany the post.  I like it when the image gives an off-kilter example of the post’s major theme.  I like to think that readers will try to figure out the connection between the image and the words.  Like a good crossword clue, the connection should be challenging, but not too challenging.

I used to write long introduction paragraphs.  Now I get right to it.

Often, the first sentence I write is short, tight, and formalizes the blog post’s main point.  After writing that first sentence, I usually want to stop writing.  I tell myself there’s no need to write more sentences because I just wrote the whole thing in one sentence.  Then I move that first sentence to the end of the post and write the sentences that provide context for the (now) final sentence.

I like to build a story within the body of the post and twist you around with the final sentences.  I like to catch you off guard and make a different point than the one you thought I’d make.  I don’t always pull that off, but I often try.

I think my best posts are those that share something personal.  I’ll try to do more of that.

Image credit – Tambako The Jaguar (Hybrid Owl)