Sources For Your Educational Material Content –

Idea Files

Keep content coming in constantly—if you decide to just sit down and write a manual, you’ll spend a ton of time developing your content. Keep your eyes and ears open constantly for content ideas. When you see something, write it down and file it by major category. When you are ready to write your manual, grab that file and you’ll have a huge head start on ideas.

I am not a sophisticated filer, but when I see an educational material idea, I stick it in a file. It might be months later before I use it, but when I’m ready to write, I don’t spend more months looking for ideas.

The stuff that goes in your idea files:

- articles from magazines

- notes from things I hear on radio or see on TV

- information I download from the internet

- questions from my speaking audiences—I might take a minute to answer a question during a speech but might be able to write 10 pages about the concept

- notes from discussions I have with colleagues and customers - anything that pops into my head—this one’s most important. Don’t depend on your memory to retrieve an idea months from now when you start your manual. Write it down when you think about it and just toss the note into your file.

I use this strategy during my writing process as well. Throughout the writing of this manual, I thought of several ideas to include. There’s no way I’d ever remember even the one or two word concepts, so while I’m writing I keep a running list of “new” ideas on the last page of my legal pad. After I’ve written everything I planned in advance, I go to my “new idea” list and write copy for each concept. During the writing of this manual, I triggered over 20 new ideas and added significant value to the content of the manual.

Even when I’m writing a particular section of a manual, I get ideas for that same section that are a few more paragraphs or pages down the line. I cannot depend on my memory to include the ideas and so as soon as one pops into my head, I write down a key word right there (in brackets so I can find it again) and go back and get it before I close the writing of that section.

If you are an expert in something, content is NOT your problem. Your problem is getting your manual written and marketed. I’ve spent more time deciding what to leave out of my manuals than I have looking for original material.