Different writers will write in completely different directions. Now I’m not talking about writing from left to right or right to left but rather the direction you take in your hike through a topic that you are covering. In general, there are two directional categories that writers will fall under: linear writers and circular writers.

If you are a linear writer, you will tend to write best from beginning to end. You will probably develop at least a rough outline first and may even enjoy the process of organizing the outline itself. To non-linear writers, the idea of enjoying an outline sounds both sick and wrong. As a quick word of warning, if you write from start to finish but don’t like outlining, you probably aren’t a linear writer. Instead, you are likely a circular writer that has that has been taught to write in a way that isn’t natural for you.

If you aren’t a linear writer, you are most likely a circular writer. These are the folks who will have tons of ideas in their heads, will sit down with a blank notebook page, and in an hour will either have a blank page or a page full of scratched-out introductory paragraphs. If you do exactly what I just described, I have good news for you: it doesn’t mean you are a bad writer and it doesn’t even mean there is something wrong with you. There is a reason why you can’t get started and the solution is so fundamentally simple that you will probably laugh at yourself when you realize what you’ve been doing.

Answer this question: who says you have to start at the beginning? The answer is actually that it’s the linear writers who say that, but that you ain’t so forget it! Circular thinkers will generate many more creative ideas than linear thinkers, but often can’t get past their introductory paragraphs and don’t get far enough along to write the really good stuff that’s already in their minds. If you have a good idea for a paragraph in the middle or the end of your article, go ahead and write it before you lose your thought.

Writing useful, original content is one of the often-overlooked aspects of Web development. A flashy-looking site will get people to visit your site every week, but dedicated writing will bring them there daily. For more of my tips and advice for writing tech articles, take a look here and here.