I find that asking great questions matters most of all when beginning a Writing project in particular. This method applies to other areas, but in writing, asking this question helps so much:

What question will this writing answer for the reader?

Sometimes, in service areas, I wonder, “What question is my audience asking about God, their lives, their purpose, or their work? How does my writing and speaking answer this question?”

Or, think about your Business model. What question are your clients asking, and how does your business answer this question?

When students or writing clients get stuck in their projects, I encourage them to write down the question they want to answer in their work. This focuses the thesis and the themes. I’ve used the question method to finish an undergraduate thesis, a dissertation, and ten books. Always frame it as a question, and often after that, the writing (or work) flows.

You can also use the negative form: What question am I NOT answering? I know my areas of expertise and experience; I know what I cannot contribute to a conversation.

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