How to wrangle a writing project

Writing projects often blow out – overdue, over budget, over-and-out. Here's how the process from inspiration to publication should go down.

Step 1 – Work out what you need to write

We're all used to commencing a writing project under the assumption that the job at hand is a necessary one. "We need a report on XYZ" or "Small businesses need to know how to become an employer of choice". Often, though, these assumptions are false. Do we really need a report? Where did we get the idea that someone needs a guide on preventing bullying in the workplace? Agreed, if you have something to say that you think is valuable then there's every reason to write about it, but often we're guilty of telling people what we know, not what they need to know. What's the point of spending six months writing a beautiful guide on climate change mitigation strategy if no-one's going to read it?

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