Energy cycles and batch writing

Tweaking your process for scalability

Writing is all about energy. There's a research, creative, analytical, and social cycle.

All of these cycles use different mind energies, which is why it's so difficult to scale excellent writing if you're doing all stages one after the other. It’s almost impossible. If you write a few weekly projects and tackle all cycles one after the other per piece, you're heading for burnout.

So, how do you manage writing cycles and leverage our process to scale?

We'll explore the different energy cycles and some tweaks you can make to build an efficient process. The more you write, the more opportunities you have to connect with readers and move them to action.

Traditionally, writers often switch mental energies all at once per piece, but that leads to burnout and inefficiencies

Cycle one: Research

The research phase involves preparing for your upcoming project. You are probably researching your topic, what others say about it, and the questions current audiences ask.

Research is an exciting time to find gaps on the internet. For example, what are people asking that isn’t getting answered? You can find some of these opportunities on forums, such as subreddits and Quora questions. You can also tap into communities like niche Facebook Groups or different Slacks.

Once you've researched, you can create an outline for your upcoming draft.

Cycle two: Creative

The creative stage focuses on your first draft. Consider the angle you want to take on the piece, metaphors and imagery, and your hook and introduction.

Then, the creative stage leads to actually writing your draft. You fill out your outline and write in sprints, section by section. When you've finished your draft, you have a rough piece of marble that needs to be chiseled for a final beautiful sculpture.

Cycle three: Analytical

This is the most impactful stage that can determine a good piece of writing into a great piece of writing

The analytical stage focuses on editing, formatting, SEO optimization, and strategic decisions that increase readers' read-through rate, chances for discoverability, and interest.

You need a clear mind during this energy cycle—the kind that's okay with "killing your darlings" by eliminating what's not working in your draft.

The piece should have plenty of white space and easy formatting, making reading pleasant and friction-free. You can also identify areas where visuals help aid the reading experience and break it up for longer stamina.

Cycle four: Social

The social stage is the moment you publish and share your piece. It involves publishing on your website and newsletter and sharing it on social media.

This energy cycle calls for a creative but pragmatic approach. You network with those around you, write original copy for posts, and motivate people to read and share your work.

Managing each writing cycle

Leverage your energy to produce more quality work

You already use all these energy cycles if you write or produce content. But sometimes, scaling can feel impossible.

Part of the reason is that too many people try to do everything simultaneously.

For example, you research, then write, then edit, then share. It's done in the same long session or over a few days. But that tires you out—you access and transition from different parts of your brain, and it's inefficient.

Instead, you can produce a well-oiled machine and focus on one energy cycle for all pieces.

For example, designate a research day if you have three pieces you need to write this week. You spend that day researching, writing outlines, and setting up your documents for all pieces. Then, the next day or two, you write. You don't care about how awkward a sentence sounds or about errors. You write what's on your mind based on the research and ideas you've nurtured.

You edit all the pieces from there and then schedule and plan your social strategies.

This is a much more efficient strategy that leverages your mind's momentum by energy. Content is a heavily creative craft; you can produce more at scale without draining your mind by making it more efficient.