Are you taking forever to finish a blog post, an email, or even a short message? If your answer is a resounding YES, it’s time to switch to the 3×3 writing process and say goodbye to
What Is the 3×3 Method of Writing?
The whole concept of the 3×3 method is simple. Instead of tackling the entire writing process in one go (and overwhelming yourself), you divide it into three phases —prewriting, writing, and revising.
It may seem counterproductive, but hear us out. There are a lot of things you can benefit from when you switch to this structured way of writing, including:
- Save time: Be honest. How many times have you ripped out a paper, deleted an entire text, or stared at a blank page for hours?
- Improve clarity and quality: One common issue with writing without a plan is that your ideas are all over the place. The solution? Yep, it’s the 3×3 writing process.
- Avoid writing overload: Whether you are writing about a simple gardening hack or a complicated coding guide, one thing is certain -the whole writing process can be overwhelming! So, by taking it one step at a time, you can take the load off your shoulders and write better.
As you can see, the whole point of the 3×3 writing process is to make your life easier —that’s pretty convincing if you ask us!
A Closer Look At Each Stage
If you are ready to put it to the test and learn how to apply it to your AI writing journey, here’s how.
Phase 1 of the 3×3 Writing Process: Prewriting
The first stage of the 3×3 writing process is prewriting, so put your pen down and, as much as you willingly can, stop and focus on the following:
- Your article’s potential topic
- Your target audience
- The appropriate style and tone
- The competition
- Outline or structure
A bit vague? Fear not, my trusted 3×3-writing-companion; we will discuss each one in detail below:
Brainstorm Potential Topics
It may seem an advantage at first if your editor or teacher gave you the creative freedom to write anything under the sun, but once in front of your computer, you’re dumbfounded.
Breath.
The right topic is within your reach when you:
- Identify key topics: You must consider the main points and information you want to share with your audience. Ask yourself, “What do you want them to know?”
- Consider relevance: A hot new tech? A breakthrough in science? A new AI tool? Always choose relevant topics that your audience will value.
- Combine general and niche ideas: You can start with general topics and break them down into smaller, more specific ones.
Use this ChatGPT prompt for brainstorming article ideas:
I want to write about [insert your idea], Please generate five topics related to my idea but consider relevance and subvert standard expectations. Who Is Your Target Audience
Who are you writing for? Anybody that stumbles on your work? BZZZT! That’s wrong.
Great writers produce best-sellers, viral posts, and helpful content because they know what their target audience is desperately yearning for. So, when you are in the prewriting stage, always make it a point to ask yourself these questions:
- Who might be interested in or find my content helpful?
- Who do I want to reach with the content I write?
- How should I write after researching these people’s reading habits, interests, and language?
Alternatively, you can ask ChatGPT for help:
I'm going to write an article about [insert topic]. Can you identify who is my target audience. Determine the Appropriate Writing Style and Tone
Don’t forget to decide the style and tone best for your article topic and, of course, your readers. The reason is simple —matching your audience’s reading skills, word choice, and overall expectations can make the message you are trying to convey clearer.
Use this ChatGPT prompt to discover the best writing style and tone:
I'm going to write an article about [insert topic] and my target audience is [insert target audience]. Can you identify the appropriate writing style and tone for my article?
Spy On Your Competitors
If your writing task involves producing content that is significantly better than the competition, it’s time to put your detective hat on.
- Go to Google and search for similar content to the one you want to write.
- Open the top three results. Ignore the ads and AI results.
- Spy.
By ‘spy,’ we mean determining what your competitors are doing. No, we also don’t mean copying your competitors. The whole point is identifying your archenemies’ weak points and making sure yours are free from any loopholes.
If you need help identifying what are their weak points, try this ChatGPT prompt:
I'm going to write an article about [insert topic]. Below is my competitor's article. Can you identify the competitor article's weak points?
[insert competitor article]Have a Draft Outline or Structure
The last step in the prewriting stage is to create a general structure for your article. You can create this based on the previous steps:
- Research and competition analysis
- Target audience
- Desired format, style, and tone
- The overall purpose of the article
For quicker draft structure generation, this ChatGPT prompt is perfect.
I'm going to write an article about [insert topic]. My article's overall puprose is to [insert purpose]. The writing style is [insert style] and tone is [insert tone], while my target audience is [insert target audience]. Can you generate 5 article structures or outline? Phase 2 of the 3×3 Writing Process: Writing
Topic? Check.
Target audience? Check.
Outline? Check.
Research? Check.
Writing style, tone, and format? Check.
You are now ready to move on to the second step, which is writing! Remember, you don’t need to create flawless text with perfect grammar or correct spelling during this stage.
If you want to use ChatGPT for this stage, use this:
Please write an article about [insert topic], following the requirements below:
My article's overall puprose is to [insert purpose]
The writing style is [insert style]
Tone is [insert tone]
Target audience is [insert target audience]
Length [insert number of words]
Structure [insert your desired structure] Phase 3 of the 3×3 Writing Process: Revising
Do you always submit your first draft? Don’t! It’s not yet publish-worthy! So, before you end up disappointing your editor, revise, proofread, and evaluate your text. And, yes, we know they take a little more time to compete, but they make the difference in turning your draft into something you are proud to tell the world that you’re the author!
When you start revising, you should generally focus on these areas:
- Look for disjointed sentences
- Don’t abuse figures of speech, clichés, or metaphors
- Check for misplaced or meaningless sentence fragments
- Make sure there are no loose modifiers
- Don’t become repetitive
- Correct spelling errors
- Reduce filler words and verbiage; being specific is more valuable.
- Shorten excessively long sentences or paragraphs.
Tip: We recommend giving it a few days before you start revising. It’s easier to edit something with fresh eyes!
Use the Correct Tone and Appropriate Writing Style
Starting your text with colloquial language and then turning it completely technical halfway through can be off-putting (and confusing) to readers.
Stick to one writing style and tone by using this prompt:
I have an article about [insert topic]. I am aiming for [insert writing style] and [insert tone]. Can you revise my article based on my desired writing style and tone?
[insert article here]Fix Grammar Mistakes
It’s very easy to overlook grammar errors when you are engulfed in writing, so don’t beat yourself up when you spell ‘breath’ instead of ‘breathe’ or use a comma after a quotation mark.
You are a proofreader. I have an article about [insert topic]. Can you fix all the grammar mistakes? Check References and Citations
Incorrect citations and dubious references can kill your article —even if you corrected all the grammatical errors. So, go ahead and check all the sources you have used, and check not once and twice but thrice!
Evaluate
Here, we come to the final step, which will give you the finishing touches to complete your amazing writing. After following the entire 3×3 Writing Process, ask yourself the following questions:
- Was I able to meet the goal of my article?
- Can the audience fully understand it?
- Was the format I chose the best for presenting my ideas?
- Did I truly offer relevant information?
- Will my readers benefit from and appreciate the information I presented?
No More Frustrations
Having structure and direction can be a good thing, especially when you’re struggling to put your ideas into writing. So, why not try the 3×3 writing method the next time you have writer’s block? We’re pretty confident that you’ll get back to writing in no time.