This month’s issue includes strategies to jump-start your next writing project and a great grammar and usage resource.

6 Tricks to Get Your Writing Juices Flowing

Having a hard time getting started with a writing assignment? Here are some strategies I’ve used over the years. Try giving one of these a shot the next time you’re stuck on where to begin.

1. Keep a running story format document.
   ​List all of the types of article formats you use — or would like to use — for your given publication. Think: How to, Q&A, by the numbers, do’s and don’ts, problem/solution, etc. Pull this list out the next time you need some inspiration for organizing a new assignment.
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2. Start with the second paragraph.
   ​Often it’s hard to get started with the intro for a story. If this happens to you, skip to the meat of the piece you’re writing about. Then go back and write the introduction after you have a good feel for where the article is going.
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3. Turn your audience into one person.
   ​Writing to a specific person is easier than writing for a broad, general audience. When thinking about your target audience — say, adult pulmonology patients — bring to mind an image of what that person looks like and what they would be most interested in. What would George from Atlanta want to know about this topic? What’s most important to him? Use that as fuel to get your message going.
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4. Work backward.
   ​This is similar to starting with the second paragraph, but write the conclusion first. When you have an idea of how you want to wrap up a story, it often helps clarify how to get started.
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5. Set a timer and and go.
   ​The crucial point here is to not let yourself stray from writing until the timer goes off. When I do this, I often get on such a roll that I’ll keep writing past my original allotted time. Or, if it’s a particularly rough piece, it’s cause for a little self-high-five and well-deserved break when that timer dings.
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6. Create a rough outline.
   ​There’s a reason why your teachers taught you outlining. It works. My outlines today would not get great grades — they’re super rough, and sometimes unfinished. But just jotting down a few ideas I want to cover in a story can get me going with how I want to start a piece. This is probably the trick I use most often.

I hope some of these might help you on future writing projects you have. Let me know if they do!

Check It Out: Grammar Girl

Mignon Fogarty and her Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing are one of my go-to’s when it comes to writing resources. While she has hundreds of podcast episodes full of grammar tips and writing-related discussions, I tend to use her Quick and Dirty Tips website most often.

It’s a great spot for checking to make sure you’re using lie vs lay correctly, or whether you need to use a comma around an appositive. (Or, let’s be real, if you need to remind yourself what an appositive is.)

Happy grammaring!

Something You Might Not Know About Me... My husband and I were asked to participate in a bad bowling league this winter. My only prior bowling experience was going on the occasional family outing. In this league, if you get nine pins down on your first bowl within a turn, it counts as a strike! We also get some amazing handicaps week to week. It has been so fun. 😁

What's Been On My Plate It is so enjoyable to write about people who like what they do, pride themselves on their work, and are fulfilled when their customers are fulfilled. This was the case with my recent piece for Soapbox Cincinnati: 5 Questions with James Beard Finalist Mike Stankovich.

What’s up? I'd love to hear from you! Some things you might want to share: Do you ever have a hard time getting started with your writing?​ What tricks do you use to get those writing juices flowing?​ When was the last time you went bowling?​ Reply to this email or comment here. Thanks for reading! Kate Harold Writer | Editor | Proofreader Kate Harold Freelance Writing LLC ​ March 19, 2025 | Issue 6

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