At this point, you have a topic, a definition, and a list of arguments about that topic. You could write a five-paragraph essay in no time built around what you have already written!
What you have so far is good for initially producing content - especially generating quantity - but it isn’t necessarily a good recipe for quality content.
This is where questions come in.
Questions not only help you generate content, but they also help you generate better content.
Imagine you were giving a speech or presentation. You are passionate about a particular idea, and want to share it with your audience. You prepare for weeks, and give an excellent, coherent, persuasive presentation. There’s only one problem. When it’s time for questions from your audience, it becomes clear that half of your audience didn’t even understand some of the basic background material, and others were caught up about how you presented the material. Because there was only ten minutes allocated for questions, you can’t answer them all, and everyone is left feeling frustrated.
This is an imaginary scenario, but one that might be useful in preparation for the writing process. As you write, consider, what questions might someone who is new to your field or topic have about the topic? Furthermore, what objections or nuanced questions might someone raise?
For each topic in your list, list five or more questions that someone might ask you about that topic. To use our previous example of meditation:
| Topic | Meditation |
|---|---|
| Definition | a contemplative practice that comes from Buddhist religious / spiritual traditions, but has since been brought into secular contexts. |
| Theses | - Meditation can help you achieve personal goals. |
| - Meditation can help you in challenging and difficult circumstances. | |
| - Meditation is a beneficial component in any personal development regime. | |
| - Meditation is a mental hygiene habit. | |
| - Accordingly, people should meditate regularly, just like people should brush their teeth, floss, and exercise regularly. | |
| Questions | - How long should I meditate for each day? |
| - How do I learn how to meditate? | |
| - Is meditation religious, spiritual, or woo? | |
| - Why did you start meditating? | |
| - How has meditation helped you personally? |
After you list questions for each topic, re-order them into a logical order. Here’s a re-ordering for our questions:
What's next?