Getting started

This is where you get all those nightmare images from old movies of writers tapping out a few words and then throwing them into the wastepaper basket! A New York editor was once asked, "What's the key feature you look for in your journalists' work?" and she replied, "Doneness". To get from your question to a complete answer that demonstrates "doneness", you need to start somewhere. But how?

Let’s have a look at some ideas on how to get started with those first few lines of a project.

One word

If you're stuck, try answering the assignment question with one word: "Yes/No/Maybe." Or two words: "Only sometimes/It depends/Not quite". It's a start. It shows your brain is engaged. It's a seed.

One sentence

Then ask yourself "What possible grounds do I have for saying yes, no or maybe?" Great. You now have a whole sentence.

Three sentences

Carry on explaining to yourself. Maybe you need three sentences to expand. Maybe each sentence raises its own questions about what you know or don't yet know. Allow the seed to expand into a little plant. It's not yet the whole story, but it will get you thinking and researching.