Writing Without Being a Writer

I remember writing newsletters when I was in YWAM and it was like pulling teeth. From a rabid cat. On catnip.

In a word, painful.

Writing a newsletter is real work. You know you’re supposed to write them. The books tell you to do it every month. So you sit down to write and end up spending three hours on Facebook and surfing the web. Your evening is toast and you have nothing to show for it.

I think the problem is that we aren’t writers. Writers seem to have this ability to bang out a thousand words about anything in a matter of an hour or two. Quite frankly, I didn’t get into ministry so I could write. I bet you didn’t either.

So how do you get what’s in your head out of it and into something usable?

Here’s my suggestion: quit trying to write. Instead, sit down and talk with someone. It’s best to do it with a friend or team member, but almost anyone will do. You can even do this by yourself to a blank wall. The point is to have a conversation. Make them ask you questions (or if you’re alone, ask yourself questions) about who you’ve met, what projects you’ve started, what you’ve been learning, what you’ve been struggling with, what you’re in need of, what God has been speaking to you and how he’s been changing the world around you.

While you’re having this conversation, make notes. If you want to get more techy, download Audacity or open up Garageband (on your Mac) and record the whole thing. If you go this route, don’t get into “I’m on stage” mode and start trying to speak to an audience. Just talk with a friend and make notes afterwards.

(By the way, if you do this with a team member, you’ve helped make their writing that much easier. You could make this into a monthly or even weekly debrief session.)

What you’ve just done is found out what’s authentically interesting to you, and hence your followers. And you’ve done it in a way that’s mostly painless. While you may never be a “writer,” talking it out will help lay the groundwork for getting your story out.

Have tricks of your own for getting your newsletter written? Share it in the comments!