So you’ve decided for some hair-brained reason that you’re going to take on a writing gig for your school newspaper, the Odyssey, your local magazine, or your family newsletter, and you've realize that you honestly have no idea what you’re doing. You have to come up with ideas, write, edit, juggle school, work and a social life, and somehow make deadline by the end of the week (because you know grandma will write you out of the will if you are even a second late on that newsletter). It's a lot of work, and at this point you're probably thinking, “Do I really like writing this much?” The correct answer is no, you don’t "like" writing; you love it! So sit down, relax, brew some tea, and let Papa Noah give you some advice.

Step 1. Find Your Topic/Idea

The ish in easy(ish) becomes active right off the bat. Formulating an idea takes a lot of thinking (sometimes) and it seems like an uphill battle, but it really all depends on what you want to write. Want to write an opinion piece? Find something that grinds your gears or rubs you the wrong way. In this case, a topic you are passionate about is a good topic to write on because ideas tend to flow more smoothly when you really want to say something. Going for something more journalistic and news like? Again, find something that is meaningful to you. Whether it be about a play that just opened in your local community theater, or about that murder trial that just started in your town, or about that piece of legislation that may require you to eat with a spork every day, you have to be into it, and as long as you can dig it, your readers can dig it, too. If you just so happened to be gifted in the idea finding area, congratulations! You can skip this step and go right on to the next one.

Step 2. Do Your Research! (If needed)

Whether you are writing some emotionally charged opinion piece, or a breakdown of the presidential election, or some funny list of the Top 10 Reasons Why Disney Movies Are The Best, you need to get your facts straight. Go looking for that data spread sheet from 2003, dig through those piles of transcripts from that presidential debate, go interview that chick in your class Rapunzel was way better than Brave. Just get in there and get the information! You’re a writer, people will listen to you, and as such, you need to have a solid platform to stand on, and that platform is built with facts and figures. People will believe you more when you show them the amount of money Disney movies have made in the past decade versus the amount of money any other franchise has made to prove that Disney movies really are the best.

Step 3. Begin Writing

This is the hardest step you will ever have to deal with. The beginning of the writing process is a beautiful but difficult thing to do. It's a lot like a baby taking its first steps in that very few people make it without a few bumps and buses. I promise that once you get past your first few sentences, the ideas will flow in abundance and you’ll have a full article in one to two hours. Sure, your first paragraph will probably be junk, but that's what editing is for. So just grit your teeth, buckle down and start typing. Once you get a few sentences down, your brain and your fingers will be on the same page and the ideas will start flowing.

Step 4. Don’t Panic

You will be faced with lot of opportunities to panic as a writer and my advice is this: don’t panic. Stuck and can’t find an idea to write on? Don’t panic. Inspiration will hit, and if all else fails talk to your peers and see if they have any ideas you can get behind. You may be surprised by how much people are willing to share ideas, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Stuck in the research process? Don’t panic. Ask someone for help. If you’ve hit a road block in the information department, a fresh set of eyes can really help move things along. They might even find something you missed. Stuck in the writing process? Don’t panic. If you’ve been staring at your computer screen for more than 30 minutes and have made no progress, turn off your computer and back away slowly (they can smell fear so be careful). Go outside, get some air, take a walk, read a book, do some stretches, do anything other than writing! Taking a break is the best cure for writers block, and your writing will be better off if you cut yourself some slack and take a breather. So go on, take a breather for about 30 minutes, your computer isn’t going anywhere.

Step 5. Panic

So your 30-minute break has turned into a two-day break and you have a deadline tomorrow. Now you can panic. The level of panic you require can be determined by what step you are on in the process: If you are still formulating an idea, you should panic like the sky is falling and the world is ending. If all you have to do is gather research and write, you should panic like there’s a shark migration in the waters of the beach you just so happened to be taking a break on. If you are at the beginning of the writing process (i.e. Introduction or second paragraph) you should panic like you forgot your anniversary and your significant other is going to be home in 15 minutes. If you are closer to the end of the writing process (i.e. third, fourth, or final paragraph) panic like you left your spaghetti on the stove for too long and you’re in the middle of showering (I’m talking shampoo in your hair). At this point you need to get a move on, and for that, see step six.

Step 6. Write Like the Wind!

After you’ve determined your appropriate level of panic, get to work. It takes a certain amount of finesse and skill to create a beautifully crafted article at the last minute, so I do not advise getting yourself into this situation on a constant basis. I will say however, that the more you practice at it, the easier it will be, and the better your writing will become, but again I cannot condone this type of behavior. So in general, don’t procrastinate. Sure some people have the talent and skill to get it done, but if your like me, you need time. So give yourself plenty of time to follow the necessary steps and get everything done right. You, your editor and your readers will be much happier at the end of the day.

Step 7. Repeat Steps One Through Six as Needed

That’s right, you’re going to have to do it all over again, and that okay! Every time you sit down to write is a new and exciting experience, a new process, a new idea. You never write the same thing twice, and if you are, see step four for some advice. It's going to take time to get used to the whole writing thing and it's going to be a lot of work, but at the end of the day you need to be able to write something and say, "Yeah, I'm proud of that."

So there you have it. If you follow these steps (well most of them) I promise you’ll have a somewhat enjoyable writing experience. And hey, you might be good at this whole writing thing and decide, “I can totally do this on a weekly basis.” That's what I did.