Let ’ s say you ’ re on deadline for a piece of writing . But you ’ ve procrastinated . After all , your garden does look so much better without the weeds . Now you ’ ve got a serious time crunch . Here ’ s a sentence — OK , I admit , it ’ s a long one — that will get you started fast and remove those writing weeds before they can tangle up your thinking .

We talked about this guide sentence in the June-July On the QT , but here I want to go into more detail about how it can help you . Years ago , I learned a version of this sentence in a GWA writing workshop with that fabulous editor and teacher , Barbara Boardman . I ’ ve been using it ever since . It ’ s a simple fill-in-the-blanks . Do it before you write anything , whether your style is to plan ahead or to plunge right in to find out what you ’ re thinking .

Here goes :

In my ___________ ( writing category ), about ___________ ( subject ), I am saying that ___________ ( slant ).

LET ’ S LOOK AT THE BLANKS

• Writing category : Naming this helps you automatically focus on how you will write . A blog post ’ s requirements are different than a visual presentation . A how-to differs from a long-form feature . A profile is not a Q & A . This blank defines your marching orders .

• Subject : This one ’ s easy . Someone asks you , “ What ’ re you writing about ?” You answer , “ The Williams ’ garden .” That ’ s your subject . It could be how to prune kiwi vines , sharpen shovels or build a critter-proof chicken house . Or , diseases of potatoes . That ’ s it .

• Slant : Your subject is not your slant . Sometimes the term slant carries a negative connotation about biased reporting , but here it simply means your take on the subject . A single subject could have many different ap-

proaches , or slants . Often the slant is your promise to the reader . One way to find it is to ask yourself , “ What ’ s the most important thing I need to communicate ?” The answer will give you your focus .

Some examples : In my feature about the Williams ’ garden , I am saying that small trees define four livable outdoor spaces in an easy-care family garden .

In my how-to about building a critter-proof chicken house , I am saying that metal sheathing and rustproof steel wool will keep your flock safe . In my column about potato diseases , I am saying that there are five telltale signs , and here ’ s what to do when you see them .

DOESN ’ T HAVE TO BE PRETTY

These guides don ’ t need to be sentences of great beauty . They simply have to work . You can slap the sentence like a banner at the top of your page before you start . Or , as one of my students suggested , put it under what you ’ re writing . That way , whenever you stop and cast about for the next thing to say , there it is , reminding you where you ’ re going .

In addition to pointing your way through a draft , your guide sentence can be a useful editing tool . Sometimes , after you ’ ve written your piece , you ’ ll find there ’ s a gap between your sentence and what ’ s on the page . Let ’ s say you started out to profile a garden , but got caught up in the personalities of the gardeners . The piece turns out to be a funny thought-provoking portrait of the players . The plants are in the background . It happens .

YOU HAVE CHOICES You could rewrite closer to your original intention . You may need to if that ’ s your agreement with your editor . Or , you could change the guide sentence to conform with what ’ s already

there . Either way , once the sentence and the writing line up , the guide will help you discard anything that doesn ’ t fit . Or , beef up what may be weak .

You might also pluck words from the guide sentence to create titles or subheads . Even if editors change them , it ’ s one more succinct way you can focus on the main point of your writing .

This guide construction is for your eyes only . Unless you choose to share it with a writing group or coach , the hardworking guide sentence gets deleted before your piece goes out . Later , when you look at something you ’ ve written , you might not even remember what your sentence was . But your writing will be clearer , your thoughts more orderly and your final draft delivered quicker because you took a moment to fill in the blanks .

This article is based on an excerpt from GWA member Mary-Kate Mackey ’ s book , Write Better , Right Now : The Reluctant Writer ’ s Guide to Confident Communication and Self-assured Style , to be published by Career Press at the end of 2016 .

THINKSTOCKPHOTOS . COM / ANDREW _ RYBALKO

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