Sketching Ideas
Breaking the tyranny of the blank page.
This is free writing. You are trying to get as many ideas down as possible so you have something to play with, something to craft into a draft, and eventually a finished product. Do not criticise yourself. This is an extended form of brainstorming - the goal is quantity and exploration, not quality. You are not writing your IA yet. You are finding out what you think.
Sketch your thinking
Work through these starters in a document or on paper. A sentence or two each is enough - write fast and do not stop to edit.
- The key issue this company is facing is...
- What seems certain is...
- What is still uncertain or up in the air is...
- At this stage, my hunch is that the company should...
Or try a five-minute unprompted free write. Set a timer. Do not stop writing. Do not judge, edit, or cross anything out. If you have no idea where to start, try this opening: "The answer is... because... actually the answer might be... because..." Keep going until the timer runs out.
Get into the detail
Once you have sketched your thinking, go deeper on two things.
Apply a BMT roughly
Pick the tool that feels most relevant to your RQ right now. Fill it in using what you know so far - it does not need to be complete or polished. What does it tell you?
Look at the financial accounts
Find the figures most relevant to your RQ. What do you notice? What do the numbers suggest about the company's situation? Annotate as you go.