Components of Pre-Writing

Pre-writing is low intensity and often serendipitous, dependent on thoughts flowing into you rather than you putting thoughts out. Here is a nonexclusive list of things that can be realistically counted as pre-writing.

Ideation (Deciding the menu)

Literally, what are possible things you could be writing about? Raw Idea Velocity is the focus here - remember you’re not signing up to actually deliver the thing - but if you have a flash of inspiration or insight sometime somewhere, write it down. It’s not uncommon for me to watch a good talk and come out of it with two ideas of things to write about.

• If you feel like you lack ideas for things to write about, your bar is too high. Even if it’s been definitively explained elsewhere, you can still get value from learning in public by explaining in your own words to others who think like you.