Thanks Barbara! I believe that – like most other things – the more we practice, the better we get. Trying to distill our thoughts onto paper (or onto a computer screen) is something that will feel unnatural at first – at least it did for me – but the more we do it, the better we’ll get. Something that helps me is having a distinct format to follow. With most articles I say, “What are three things I’m trying to convey?” and add color to each idea. Sometimes it’s four points, and sometimes it’s only two, but starting with three makes the process a little more palatable.

It’s a little bit like exercise. If I tell myself I’m going to walk for 20 minutes every day, that 20 minutes sometimes turns into 30 minutes, an hour, etc. because the process is especially enjoyable that day. We can take that same approach with writing. Some days are average while others are really easy and the words just flow.