Are You Making This Writing Mistake That Costs You Valuable Time?
Writers often ask me why it takes them so darn long to write an article/query letter/brochure/newsletter.
Much of the time, these writers are making the deadly mistake of over-researching. They’re spending hours collecting files full of articles, bookmarking relevant sites, reading books, and interviewing countless sources.
And the time-suck doesn’t stop there: Because these writers have so much research, they have trouble going through it all and deciding what to put in their assignment. Or, even worse, they spend too much time trying to cram all their research into the assignment lest they waste it.
If this is you, stop! It’s too hard to make a decent income if every assignment takes twice as long as it should because you’re over-researching.
Here are my tactics for getting the work done without overdoing the research:
Start early.
Start your interviewing and research as soon as you get the assignment. This will allow you time to go back for more info later if you need to.
Do the bare minimum.
Read enough online that you have a general understanding of your topic, and interview just enough sources: My rule of thumb is one source for every 500 words plus one; so if the piece is to be 1,000 words, I interview three sources.
End the interview right.
At the end of every interview, I ask the source, “Is it okay if I get back to you as I’m writing this piece if any questions come up?” They always say yes.
Write the article.
Write the article using my tips in My Trick for Writing Difficult Articles. Whenever you run across a spot where you need more info, mark it to come back to later.
Fill it in.
Now, go back through your article and do the research needed to flesh out your piece. Chances are, it will require only a little web surfing or a few additional questions e-mailed to your source — not the reams of data you would have collected had you tried to do all your research first.
If you need much more, you can always find another source to interview. The benefit to interviewing sources later in the process is that you have a much better idea of what you need so you can target your questions better.
Don’t freak out.
Remember this: If you don’t get enough research, you can always go back for more.
Are you an over-researcher? If not, what are your tips for getting just enough information? Share your experiences in the comments below. [lf]
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- How to Head Off Freelance Assignment Disasters
- My Dirty Little Secret — And 5 Ways to Beat Your Fear of Interviewing Sources
- Why You Shouldn’t Do E-Mail Interviews Unless You Really, Really Have To
I am definitely an over-researcher. I find that a clear outline before I set up the first interview or do the first Google search helps me significantly. I list the topics to cover and then break the word count up among those areas. That gives me a clearer sense of where my attention should be focused and helps to prevent research on areas that really aren’t a priority.
Occasionally I make an exception. I often write about food allergies because it is a topic that affects our family. I find that I always over-research those because I know that things not used in the article will still be useful to us.
An outline is a great time-saver for writers who tend to over-research. And I like your MO of writing about issues that affect your family so you can learn more about them!
Really helpful post, Linda. I haven’t developed a niche yet so I’m usually writing about unfamiliar topics. I have to learn the subject before I can write about it, and I tend to over-research. I have also made the mistake of not contacting sources for quotes until near the end…which can cause problems if they don’t respond right away. I look forward to the day when I can specialize and write about things I already know.
Thanks for sharing this great information.
I think that even as you’re learning a niche you can cut down on over-researching by starting early and remembering you can always go back for more if you need it. I write about topics I’m not familiar with all the time, and generally read through a bit of research online to help me formulate my interview questions. Also, this is something I like to ask my expert sources: “I’m a beginner at the topic but the readers will be too, so forgive me if I ask you some questions that sound very basic.” The experts are ALWAYS understanding and do their best to explain things in a reader-friendly manner.
I’m totally stealing that “I’m a beginner…” line. Thank you!
Hi, everyone. I’m Jennifer and I’m an Over-researcher.
I use a few different strategies, depending on how well I know the topic and how specific the assignment was. I sometimes make a basic outline, complete with subheds that I know I want to cover, and then I go back in and fill in copy under the subheds. Sometimes I write the lede first. Sometimes I fill in the subheds and then write the lede last.
Other times, I go through my notes and highlight the best quotes, see what I’ve got, and then put a bunch of them on a page, and then move things around. I wouldn’t advocate doing that unless you’re really familiar with your topic, though, and pretty much know in your head where you’re going to take the piece. Otherwise, it can turn into a mess fast! But sometimes I find that I really need to have a piece with some good quotes, and sometimes I just have to work backwards from them.
Jennifer, too funny! Those tricks are EXACTLY what I do. Check out my post in the right column “My Trick for Writing Difficult Articles.” Let me know what you think!
Has anyone successfully used mind-mapping instead of outlining?
Kim, check through Writer’s Digest’s archives if you can. A few years ago I helped a mentoring client break into WD with an article on — mind mapping!
I’ve read about mind mapping and have tried it a few times, but I’m still on the fence about it. I have not reached the mind mapping “a-ha” moment that other people say they have, where, after drawing enough circles, the format of my article suddenly crystallizes.
I’m still trying to determine the benefit of mind maps and whether they are a better tool for me than outlines. I’ll check out the WD article — maybe that will help.
Thanks again.
Kim, check out Writer’s Digest’s archives if you can. A few years ago I helped a mentoring client break into WD with an article on — mind mapping!
I’m definitely guilty of over-researching and obsessing, and getting paralyzed when writing because I have an excess of notes. Sometimes this causes problems with flow in my pieces as well. Thanks for the great advice, Linda. Also Katrina’s tip about an outline, seems like it could save some time.
Good point that over-researching can impact the flow of your writing! It’s hard to get a good flow when you’re trying to cram in an abundance of research and quotes.
Ugh, me too! I’m still learning how to not over-research and I typically interview doctors for health articles, which can be overwhelming. I’m working on giving myself a little space in between interviewing sources so I can look at my notes from the first or second source, then come up with some better and different questions for further sources. That way I don’t wind up with all of my sources saying basically the same thing and having to muddle through it all come deadline.
That’s a great idea…when you have several interviews all in a row you don’t get a chance to review your notes and tweak your questions, and end up with three people saying the same thing. Thanks for the tip!
I used to do too much research but have gotten better in recent years. It’s still something I have to remind myself of though, so I appreciate your insight.
Good for you for getting over the dreaded over-researching virus!
What a relief to know I’m not the only one who ends up with pages of unused notes and quotes! These are great tips for avoiding the dreaded over-research syndrome.
I haven’t been freelancing much lately – and that is one of the reasons why. I’m definitely saving these tips to pull out before starting my next assignment.
Glad the post was helpful! Circle back and let us know how it goes with your next assignment following these tips!
Right now, I write mainly human interest in the fitness industry. I prefer to go into an interview blind and discover the person,as the reader does, with no preconceptions. After all these aren’t technical or overly complicated subject matters. I end the interview with the same question as you, can we get back together and talk again? That way if I need a targeted question answered or a point clarified, they are always happy to get the call. The interview can really change the shape and focus of the piece, so letting it be the starting point really works well for me.
So do you write, say, weight loss success stories and things like that? What a neat idea for getting the most out of an interview! I actually write down my basic questions I need answered — in the case of a fitness profile, it would be weight before and after, age, etc. — and then just let the conversation happen. If you just read from a list of questions, you miss a lot of good stuff! Thanks for the insight.
Last month I had an article on this guy who has placed as a finalist for the last two years in the Best Abs contest. He’s 49 and has to stay fit because he’s in the bomb squad, takes down meth labs and is a rappel master. We tslked about his bucket list, etc.
Then I wrote about this kid, an athlete at 16, who cut practice and went to the lake to swim one summer day and was hit by a tractor trailer on the way back. He talked about what it was like in the coma, waking and the years since. He was just named outstanding South Carolinian by the Jaycees. His belief is that athletic discipline and health is what allowed him to come back.
Now I’m talking to a guy who weighed 589 a year and a half ago and now weighs 270 and a girl who learned tennis in a basement during a war and went on to compete at the world level.
These types of stories, I have found, are ones that you have to let unfold how they will. I am very lucky that people like to talk to me. My mom always said I could talk to a post and it would tell me its life story.
Wow, those sound super interesting! I can see why your interview tactics work well for this kind of story.
For OVER-researchers, my favourite suggestion is to spend more time THINKING and less time writing. If you haven’t thought things through enough, you’re going to be spinning your wheels for quite a while. The best thing to do is to take your research for a walk. I mean go for a walk in your neighbourhood and spend that time thinking about your story. (Take “notes” on your cellphone if you like.) Don’t write a word until you’ve devoted some time to thinking — away from your computer.
That said, I see just as many UNDER-researchers! These are the kind of people who spend lots of time staring vacantly into space, not knowing what to write about!
What a great idea! Sometimes we get so caught up in a project that we don’t know when we have enough info. Taking a break can definitely help!
Hi,
Its a great idea to do enough research that you can just understand the topic, and write only the important information about the topic. Useless and over-researched content can spoil your article and your article will not be able to attract the readers.
Thanks.