My writing process!

“If a story is in you, it has to come out.”

(William Faulkner)

The Walk into the Future blog is mostly a one-man operation. No shock there, huh? 😊

I create my content from adventures or ideas that I generate.  I write content in advance and then go back over it to edit and prepare for YOU—my readers.  I understand there are times where I miss punctuation or my grammar is not consistent when I post a blog article.  Again, I’m a one-man operation and don’t have a team of folks editing my work.  That’s no reason for me to slack on punctuation or grammar but there are times when I miss something that’s obvious.  I continue to hone my craft and will improve my content daily.

So, where I’m I headed with this blog article?  Great question, Mrs. Fouraker! 😊

My writing process is unique to me and my thought processes.  Most of my blog articles start with just the title.  I’m never sure I can turn everything into an article worth publishing but I start with a bare bones concept.  The next thing I add to the article shell is to find two or more quotes that can support the direction I want the article to flow in.  This is never an exact science, but the intent is for the quotes (start and end) to have some level of symbolism to the content in the article.   

I progress to a general idea or concept that I can write about.  My travel and running exploits are the easiest to build an article around.  I simply tell my readers what I did during the trip and add emotional levels to make my points. Think, pain when I’m running the hilly half marathon in Nashville.  Also, chronicling my Nashville Honky Tonk adventures just follows along with my daily Walk into the Future while up there.

My non travel articles are designed to set a tone and then tell the story.  Fun fact, I don’t record anything while I’m experiencing the adventure except to take pictures.  Let me say that a little better.  I live in the moment and do not write anything down until it’s time to create and write the article.  I try to write articles as closely as possible to when I experience it, but I don’t publish the article until I’ve gone over it a few times.  I try to keep a writing library of six to eight articles I can pick from when it comes time to publish on Thursdays at 11:08 am.  Yes, I publish articles at this exact time every Thursday. 😊  Melissa, did you notice that? 😊

My goal is to write the article from start to finish in one sitting.  Most people don’t know that once I get on a writing roll, the inspiration to write gets stronger and I don’t stop until I have something to go back and edit.  I try to block out time so I can write and create content for a solid hour or more.  This keeps my train of thought on the content I’m trying to bring to my readers.  There are times when I must go back to an article multiple times to complete the process.  This is necessary when I’m traveling or just can’t block out a lot of time to write. 

Fun fact #2—there are multiple articles that I have started but could never get my point across enough to publish them.  I’m still working on an article Melissa introduced to me, but I just can’t get it to a place where I’m ready to share.  It may never see the light of day, but I have a shell that may lead to something one of these days.

I am sure there are folks who don’t create content in the manner that I do but this process is working for me and I’m not going to change at this point.  Yes, I can do a better job with grammar and punctuation, but my writing style and flow will stay the same.

Fun fact #3—you should see some guest blogger articles coming soon. 😊  I’ve put out some feelers to my tree branches, and they have agreed to share some content here for my readers.  I look forward to introducing you to my tree branches and their Walk into the Future thoughts.

Here’s to another successful year for the Walk into the Future blog!

Irie!

Calvin Williams

“A word after a word after a word is power.”

(Margaret Atwood)