My Messy Writing Workflow: From Brain Dump to Published Post

My writing process isn’t what you’d call “polished.” There’s no content calendar, no editorial strategy, and no organised system. What I do have is a workflow that consistently publishes posts, which is more than I can say for the rigid systems I’ve tried and abandoned in the past.

Going with the flow

This simplicity is intentional. My blog is a side project; I work full-time, and whilst I take writing seriously, it should not burn me out. In fact, it should give me energy rather than drain it.

I write about whatever interests me at the moment. If I had a rigid content calendar dictating that “Tuesday is for risk management posts” or “Fridays are for travel content,” it would stop being fun quickly.

This is why it is nice to have a personal blog, because you are the niche. Whatever I’m experiencing, learning, or thinking about is suitable for content.

“You are the niche”

This does come at a trade-off. Google and your audience will struggle to understand what you write about, making it challenging to rank and attract a target audience.

But I’ve come to accept this trade-off. I do my best with coherent internal linking and solid categorisation, but ultimately, my freedom to write about what genuinely interests me is more important than any SEO potential I might be missing. Authenticity will outperform algorithm optimisation in the long run.

Oke…. but when does the ‘flow’ start exactly?

I have two rules to keep me on track because we can’t rely solely on going with the flow. We need at least some pressure and accountability to ensure things get done. However, I intentionally set the bar very low. With such a low standard, I have no excuses.

Every week I have to:

1. Publish 1 blog post. This can be through any channel/medium, my website, LinkedIn blog, Medium blog or a guest blog post.
2. Perform 1 action of community outreach. I’ve recognised that I need to focus more on community building, which is why I’ve set this rule for myself. Community building can take many forms, such as posting on social media, reaching out to a colleague, writing guest posts, or leaving insightful comments.

The expectations are set low, and that is what makes them effective. If I set the bar higher, I might be tempted to come up with excuses for not meeting the goal.

Sometimes, when I have too much on my plate, I move a task to the next week and publish two pieces of content instead. On rare occasions, I might delete a task if I feel really overwhelmed, or if I am working on a bigger project. But this rarely occurs.

The Workflow

1. The Idea Capture Stage

Everything starts with OneNote. I have a section called “Personal Blog” with a subfolder for “Blog Post Ideas.” It’s basically a running list of titles and half-formed thoughts that pop into my head throughout the day.

For example, I might jot down:

Is paper making a comeback through the power of AI?

	- More need for authenticity
	- Less distraction
	- Powerfull handwrtiign regocnition
	

This long list of titles makes sure that I will never have to overcome the fear of a ‘blank page’. Whenever I have some time to write, I can pick up one of the stories from OneNote. Sometimes I use AI or keyword research as a starting point for coming up with topics, but most of the time, my jotted-down ideas are the best as they are the topics that I feel like writing about.

I’m always tweaking this system. What I would like to have is a Reddit-like system for ranking and categorising my ideas. Where I can go through all the ideas I have written down and upvote, downvote and categorise them. That way, the best topics will start to move up.

2. AI Collaboration

Speech-to-Text

For some topics, I like to use the transcript function to make an initial blog post outline. Topics that draw heavily on my personal experience/opinions are the best for this, as I can do a brain dump and then ask Claude to rewrite it into a coherent draft.

I typically speak for about 10 minutes, which usually provides enough raw material for a complete blog post. If I find myself going longer than that, it’s often a sign that I’m actually working on multiple posts or need to narrow my focus.

Google Docs has proven better than Word for transcription accuracy, though I suspect microphone quality plays a significant role. I’m not completely sure on what the best transcribe setup is at the moment. So I’m still testing different apps and microphones.

Old-School Handwriting

Not everything starts with dictation. Sometimes I prefer writing by hand in a notebook or on my iPad with an Apple Pencil.

There’s something about physical writing that helps with brainstorming and initial idea development. I can sketch out mind maps, jot down disconnected thoughts, and generally think more freely than when I’m staring at a screen.

When I photograph these handwritten notes and upload them to GPT, it’s remarkably good at deciphering my handwriting and creating structured outlines. Better than most humans, which says something about how far AI has come (and how illegible my handwriting is).

3. Refining and improving

I read through the draft that is outputted from my typed, voiced or handwritten notes by Claude. Sometimes I prompt it a bit more to refine it further, but most often I paste it directly into WordPress, where I will rewrite the blog post.

Why This System Works

Looking at this workflow, it might seem haphazard, but it actually addresses the main barriers that prevent consistent blogging:

1. Idea paralysis: By keeping the bar low for capturing ideas, I never run out of topics
2. Perfectionism: The brain dump approach gets content down quickly without overthinking
3. Blank page syndrome: Starting with speech feels less intimidating than staring at an empty document
4. Time constraints: The entire process from idea to published post can happen in under an hour
5. Authenticity: By insisting on personal experience, every post offers genuine value

The Bottom Line

My workflow isn’t elegant, but it’s effective. It consistently publishes posts while maintaining the personal touch that makes the content worth reading. In an age where AI can generate endless generic content, the most valuable thing any blogger can offer is their unique perspective and genuine experience.

If you have tactics for your creative process, I’d love to hear about them. What works for you? What systems have you tried and abandoned? Let me know in the comments.