On Writing, and Reflective Practice

A method to improve essays and other projects

Hi Friends,

The end of the year can be a reflective time and, today, I’d like to share some of my reflections with you.

I created a fun technique to improve my writing. It involves getting into a flow, stopping to reflect, analyzing, resting, and then beginning again.

I’m getting better essays out of this — which made me think: Shouldn’t I use this process for everything I’m creating? It’s important to build reflective time and rest into every creative or professional process.

Let’s dive into the details.

The Franklin Reverse Outline

I learned two techniques from my buddy Charlie Becker this October that have made a big impact on my writing.

#1 Reverse Outlining. The idea is simple. Take something you have already written. Every paragraph gets two notes. In the left margin, the topic. 5-10 words. What are you really trying to say in this paragraph? In the right margin, how that paragraph advances the overall argument. Why is it useful?

#2 Dissect and Reconstruct. This, courtesy of Benjamin Franklin. A 16-year-old Ben is on a mission to become a better writer. To improve his “elegance of expression” and clarity he took articles from his favorite magazine, made notes on the sentiments of the sentences, and put the notes away for a few days. He then tried to reconstruct the articles in his own writing, using the sentiments that needed to be expressed.

(Ben has a few other good writing tips - check them out here)

These techniques are individually very useful.

• Reverse Outlining: Allow the freewrite! Write with flow and without structure. It’s a perfect excuse to get words on the page, and then think about structure and organization later. When creating, it helps to trick ourselves into starting using any means possible, which then produces a foundation to mold into great work.

• Dissect and Reconstruct: Improve craft. Sit with a sentiment, and take the time to choose the best way to express that.

I took these techniques a step further and combined them. It’s work! But it’s a surefire way to improve any essay draft.

The combo goes like this:

1. Create the Reverse Outline.

2. Put it away and don’t look at it, or the essay for a week.

3. Rewrite your essay using only your Reverse Outline. Don’t look at the original!

Step One brings you all of the benefits of the Reverse Outline. I like doing it with actual paper or post-it notes to make it as easy as possible to move things around or throw them away.

The hidden benefit of the Reverse Outline is that it’s impossible to do without complete clarity on the overall point of the piece. Sounds simple, but so often words flow easily onto the page of an essay, a research proposal, or a startup business plan. The subject and how we relate to it is clear. The key point, and its importance to readers? That can take a lot longer to pin down.

Only by reflecting on and determining essay purpose can we examine and succinctly summarize the usefulness of each paragraph.

Step Two is the easy one. Rest on this idea. You aren’t actively writing or working on it, but the ideas are there simmering. 

Step Three starts from a blank page and a sheet of notes. This is really important. As S. Kelley Harrell said,

“A good editor doesn't rewrite words, she rewires synapses.”

When editing or revising, we can get caught in the trap of making earlier sloppy decisions about structure or sentences incrementally better. The second draft on a blank page using only sentiments, and their purpose, forces a fresh reimagining of how to express an idea.

My paragraphs one week later are more natural. The structural gaps are easier to see with my outline and the benefit of time. I forget just enough about the original essay to explain things more clearly the second time.

Reflective Practice

We work in the background of our days and our minds. In writing as in life, it’s often best to let things simmer.

This process I’m recommending – flow, reflect, analyze, rest, and begin again – can help with more than essays. If creating a business: Reflect on the purpose of the business, go for a jog – don’t think about it! – and then verbally pitch your startup idea with a recorder on and without looking at any notes. I bet the result will sound calm and clear.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Until next time,

Melissa