Our writing processThe goal of your first draft isn’t to say things well. Save that for rewriting.Your first draft is for generating ideas: Brainstorm talking points.Connect dots between those points to learn what you’re really trying to say.This works best when you’re exploring ideas that most interest you. The more self-indulgent you are, the better your article.

First, choose your topicThe best topic to write about is the one you can’t not write about. It’s the idea bouncing around your head that urges you to get to the bottom of it.You can trigger this state of mind with a two-part trick. First, choose an objective for your article:Open people’s eyes by proving the status quo wrong.Articulate something everyone’s thinking about but no one is saying. Cut through the noise.Identify key trends on a topic. Use them to predict the future.Contribute original insights through research and experimentation.Distill an overwhelming topic into something approachable. (This guide.)Share a solution to a tough problem.Tell a suspenseful and emotional story that imparts a lesson.Now pair that objective with a motivation:Does writing this article get something off your chest?Does it help reason through a nagging, unsolved problem you have?Does it persuade others to do something you believe is important?Do you obsess over the topic and want others to geek out over it too?That’s all that's needed: Pair an objective with a motivation. Now you have something to talk about.

Here’s the full template so you don’t have to scroll for days to find it. But keep reading to see how to build each line:1. CHOOSE A TOPIC2. WHAT'S MY POINT OF VIEW ON SAID TOPIC?3. THE TITLE4. THE INTRODUCTION5. SECTION 1- What is this section about?- Why does it matter?- Research or Examples- Takeaways6. SECTION 2- What is this section about?- Why does it matter?- Research or Examples- Takeaways7. SECTION 3- What is this section about?- Why does it matter?- Research or Examples- Takeaways8. THE CONCLUSION