When you write you begin with 1-2-3.

We all familiar with The Sound of Music and how one incredibly famous the song goes:

“Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. When you read you begin with A-B-C when you sing you begin with do-re-mi.”

 by Rodgers & Hammerstein, 1965.

Brilliant and simple. C’mon, I know you are singing it, perhaps even out loud. Don’t worry, I don’t judge. Take a moment and look up the full lyrics. They are so creative, unpretentious, and easy to remember. Kind of what you’d like your written words to be, right?

Now, let’s apply this to composition and writing, something near and dear to my heart. People ask me all the time; How do you get started? Where do you begin?

I tell them, when you write you begin with 1-2-3?

1. What is the purpose of the piece/project? This is the first question I ask a client. Is this a piece for fun, or for business? When writing content for a website, I often ask the client to merely talk to me about their business. Tell me what you hope I hear not what you want me to hear. There is a significant difference.
2. Who I am writing this to or for? Know your audience whether the content is for a resume, a marketing piece, or a website, know who you are speaking to and keep it relevant. Relevant content keeps people engaged.
3. How do I say it in my own voice? That is where the magic happens. Let’s do that together!

These three questions may spark additional questions to facilitate the outline or thought pattern for the creation of the subject matter. This process could change depending on the piece. For example, social media posts can be shorter; blog posts are usually longer, and articles are the big Kahuna!

Take out a paper and pencil, a voice recorder, or a doodle pad and begin to write…. start at the very beginning, it is truly is a very good place to start.

We can help. Spend 15 minutes with us and let’s create your voice and sing it out loud!