Time management tips for writers Tip 4: Plan, draft and then do research

My writing students think I'm crazy when I ask them to plan, develop a draft, and then research. They want to research first.

Unfortunately, researching before you know what you need is dangerously seductive. You can spend an entire day at the library or online, or in making phone calls, and although you collect lots of material, very little may be  usable in your current project.

Worse, if you're doing primary research and are interviewing subjects, you'll either need to transcribe the interviews yourself, or pay someone to do it. You can get into a real mess with this, because almost none of the material may be usable. This is a recipe for confusion and procrastination.

Learning to research after you do a draft saves lots of time.

Of course it doesn't always work. If you're asked to write an article or a book about a topic on which you're clueless, you'll do research so that you can develop a basic understanding. When that happens you need to decide whether the project is right for you: if you're being paid well for your research time, that's fine, but if not, it's easier to pass on the project.

Here's a quick rundown of what I do when I start a new project:

* I get a brief (description of the project) from the client, or if none's forthcoming, I write it myself;

* Immediately I receive the brief, I write down everything I know in outline form - I plan what I might include in the project;

* A day or two later, I start a preliminary draft;

* When that draft's done, I make a list of research questions, and start the research process;

* I collate the research and write the next draft.

Try it yourself: plan, draft, and then research - you'll be pleasantly surprised at the time you save.

Earlier tips in this series

Time management tips for writers Tip 1: see yourself as a competent writer

Time management tips for writers Tip 2: list everything

Time management tips for writers Tip 3: carry index cards