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Planning: Before you go to Google or other sources, write out in bullet points the questions you need to answer.

Clipping: When you find information you need “clip it” which means to collect it somehow. Don’t read the research in depth until you it’s assembled in one place.

You could clip it using Google Notebook or Evernote, both of which are free online applications. Or you could simply clip it using a text file. If you do that, be sure to also clip the URL and source so you can cite it in your work.

If you are working with print material, either make photo copies or take notes, also being sure to include the source information.

If you are working with original research, you can either take notes or use a recording device. If you use this a lot you could look into voice recognition software to convert it into text later.

Distilling: This is where you highlight only the information that you plan to use, the quotes, the facts, the bullet points. This makes it easy to refer to when writing. You can highlight online with boldface or color, or highlight on paper with a highlighter pen. Do your distilling after you’re done collecting all your research information.

5. First Draft. With your outline as your guide and your research facts handy, just start writing. If you need to fill in facts and figures that you don’t already have then highlight them in some way to come back to them later. The idea is to keep the flow going on this first draft. Even if you have the facts, you can fill them in later to keep your writing moving along.

If you normally write on the computer, give longhand a try for your first draft. I use both longhand and typing for first drafts, but I have to admit that writing longhand always makes it flow faster.

If you are tired, just type your outline assuming you have it in longhand. Tell yourself it’s ok if this first draft stinks, because once you have the body written then you have something to work with! If you’re really tired, quit and get some rest. You won’t get good work done if you’re exhausted. If you must meet a deadline, at least take a small break. It will boost your productivity.

10. Quiet. All of the above steps will work best if you can work in a quiet, distraction free environment. Turn off and remove everything but the essentials when writing. If you do have noise in your environment on a regular basis, try to find a solution such as a new location or noise cancelling headphones.

These steps may seem longer when you read through them, but they truly will make your writing better, and your ideas will flow faster and easier.