Identifying required content

Before you begin writing, it can be helpful to spend some time organizing the information you will need to complete your document. The work you have already done in identifying the purpose, main message and audience for the document will help you to do this.

It is particularly important to do this preparation early in the process when some of the information you must gather must come from other people. It’s helpful to busy colleagues to ask for information early; the sooner you identify what you need, the more time they will have to help you by providing it.

What will you need? That depends on your document. Here are some ideas to help you identify what is necessary.

If you are writing minutes, you will need the agenda and the minutes of the last meeting.
If you are writing a letter or email in response to something you have received, you will need the letter or email you received.
If you are writing a project report, you will need the original proposal to ensure you report on everything the project promised to accomplish.
If you are writing a proposal, you will likely need templates provided by the donor agency. You will need an accurate project budget and will likely require assistance producing it.
If in your reader analysis you have identified barriers to understanding or points at which the reader may need to be convinced, you may need statistics, studies or other material from which you can draw evidence for your points.

Begin assembling these reference documents early in the writing process to save yourself frustration later.