I used to write an outline first and then write the draft. What I found, however, was that the article could end up being about what I want to say instead of what the reader (or the user) needs to know. This works perfectly fine for my personal blog posts but it doesn't really work for my technical documentation tasks. Hence I broke up my process into two distinct drafts: the first draft is a braindump of everything I want to say. Then I switch my mindset to that of the reader and use the audience analysis worksheet to figure out what the reader needs to know. And the rewrite the draft from the user's perspective.
(I admit it might be an unnecessary step for someone who doesn't need to craft professional tech docs, but it's what works best for me in my job as a tech writer.)
I admire your commitment to get better at writing! Good luck and I look forward to following your writing journey :)
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
We're a place where coders share, stay up-to-date and grow their careers.
Thank YOU for sharing your process :)
I used to write an outline first and then write the draft. What I found, however, was that the article could end up being about what I want to say instead of what the reader (or the user) needs to know. This works perfectly fine for my personal blog posts but it doesn't really work for my technical documentation tasks. Hence I broke up my process into two distinct drafts: the first draft is a braindump of everything I want to say. Then I switch my mindset to that of the reader and use the audience analysis worksheet to figure out what the reader needs to know. And the rewrite the draft from the user's perspective.
(I admit it might be an unnecessary step for someone who doesn't need to craft professional tech docs, but it's what works best for me in my job as a tech writer.)
I admire your commitment to get better at writing! Good luck and I look forward to following your writing journey :)