[2021-05-18] MACJ writing method

According to his biographer, Ernest Hemingway rewrote the first part of A Farewell to Arms at least 50 times. Though I’ve never reached 50 drafts in composing a blog post, I have started certain articles up to a dozen times. That’s usually because I haven’t settled on what I want to say.

This is a common problem. According to Bryan Garner, author of the HBR Guide to Better Business Writing, "Many people begin writing before they know what they’re trying to accomplish." They try to picture the finished product before they’ve begun, which only leads to feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

Writing involves multiple steps

The answer, Garner suggests, is to "Think of writing not as one huge task but as a series of smaller tasks."

Taking a page from writer and teacher Betty Sue Flowers, Garner recommends the MACJ method for writing, which stands for Madman, Architect, Carpenter and Judge. These are the four characters Flowers assigned to the various stages of writing:
  • The Madman gathers material and generates ideas.
  • The Architect organizes information by drawing up an outline, however simple.
  • The Carpenter puts your thoughts into words, laying out sentences and paragraphs by following the Architect’s plan.
  • The Judge is your quality-control character, polishing the expression throughout—everything from tightening language to correcting grammar and punctuation.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the stages.

The Madman

Every post I write begins with inspiration. This could be an activity I've done, a comment I've received, or a book I’ve read.

In the case of a book, I note my favourite passages as I read the text, either by underlining key sentences in books I own or transcribing them into my computer for books I've borrowed. Before I begin to write a post based on the book, I reread my list of quotes, selecting my favourite bits from among the best. I’ll often know what ideas I want to focus on based on how often I talk about a given section of the book. In the case of Better Business Writing, which I read in 2015, I’ve never forgotten the MACJ writing method and have recommended it to various people over the years. To this day, whenever my son is struggling with a paper or other writing piece, I'll remind him of the MACJ method, which has now become second nature to him.

The Architect

The next step, advises Garner, is to write down three sentences that establish the outline.

I’ll admit that I don’t engage the Architect as much as I should. Instead, I tend to start writing with a vague notion in my mind of what I want to say.

The outline for this post might look like this:
  1. Good writing rarely emerges from our fingertips on the first try—it requires method.
  2. The MACJ technique is a great way to approach writing because it breaks down, into distinct steps, what can otherwise be an overwhelming process.
  3. Effective writing is much more than good grammar, proper punctuation and parallel structure—read Better Business Writing to learn more.

Garner explains that an outline of three sentences is "all you typically need before you start drafting."

The Carpenter

The Carpenter stage is the most difficult of the four, even more so if you skimp on the first two steps.

Garner writes that "The key to writing a sound first draft is to write as swiftly as you can…. Later, you’ll make corrections. But for now, don’t slow yourself down to perfect your wording. If you do, you’ll invite writer’s block. Lock the Judge away at this stage, and try to write in a headlong rush."

This is my greatest challenge. I tend to edit as I go, fretting over individual sentences. And I never limit the time devoted to the drafting stage, at least for my blog posts.

"To prevent premature fussing, write against the clock," insists Garner. "Allow yourself 5 or 10 minutes to draft each section—the opener, the body, and the closer—and set the timer on your computer or phone to keep yourself honest."

He also recommends that you schedule the time when the Carpenter will work. This helps you resist the temptation to write only when inspiration strikes. Serious writers don’t wait for inspiration any more than serious athletes wait for that moment when they feel like exercising.

If you still find yourself staring at a blank piece of paper or a blinking cursor on an empty screen, begin with the section of your outline you’re most comfortable with. "When you get stuck, skip to something else," says Garner. "You need to get into a flow."

When you get mired in a particular thought, try saying out loud—to yourself or someone else—what you’re trying to convey. There’s something about verbalizing an idea (not just letting it bounce around in your head) that can get you unstuck. In Journalism school, we used to think of this as explaining something to your grandmother or your uncle.

"If there’s a painful part of writing," says Garner, "it’s doing the first draft. When you shorten the duration, it’s not as painful."

The Judge

Once you’ve pounded out your first draft (what some call the shitty first draft), it’s time to call in the Judge.

You might feel that you’re almost done when you reach this point, but—in my view—this is the stage that too many writers cut short.

Garner similarly recommends: "leave plenty of time for multiple rounds of editing—at least as much time as you spent researching and writing."

The Judge performs two functions: revising and editing. Garner distinguishes between these two activities: "Revising is a reconsideration of what you’re saying as a whole, and where you’re saying it. It’s rethinking the floor plan. Editing is more a matter of fine-tuning sentences and paragraphs."

He suggests that you make several passes through your document.

When revising, ask yourself questions such as:
  • Have I said all that I need to say?
  • Have I made my points quickly and clearly?
  • Have I proved my points with specifics?
  • Is the structure immediately apparent to my readers?
When editing, ask yourself questions such as:
  • Can I save some words here?
  • Is there a better way of phrasing this idea?
  • Is my meaning unmistakable?
  • Can I make it more interesting?
  • Does one sentence glide into the next?
If time permits, leave your draft for a day, or at least several hours, before putting the Judge to work. It will be easier for you to see what needs to be improved if you can approach your text with fresh eyes. And read out loud, which slows you down and makes it easier to spot—and hear—mistakes.

Garner also recommends enlisting others’ help, though he adds: "Try to avoid having your colleagues explain their edits in person. You may get defensive and have a hard time recognizing good advice. Invite them to mark up your document, and thank them for their help." This is what I do when revising and editing colleagues’ texts. For example, by using Track Changes in Word, I can show the writers not only what I’ve modified, but also where their writing has lacked clarity, conciseness or attention to conventions of grammar and style.

Read Better Business Writing

Great writing requires many things:
  • It begins with having something you want to say.
  • It requires clear thinking—a process that can be enhanced by converting those thoughts to words, however brief.
  • It needs discipline to overcome your natural reluctance to do something hard—you can’t rely solely on inspiration.
  • It involves multiple reviews to turn a good draft into a great final product.
In Better Business Writing, Garner explains these four steps and so much more. Learn how to keep your language simple, summarize accurately, eliminate wordiness and jargon, use chronology to bring your readers up to speed, maintain consistency, write with attention to grammar, avoid passive language, and compose emails that will get read.

I’m not suggesting that reading the book will turn you into a Hemingway, worthy of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction or the Nobel Prize in Literature. But it will make you a better writer.