---
title: 📚 Entering DAOs as a Writer
image: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kjM6ubVa95ga390-RxhuX-YijQr8vNnjjDhIlWu0OCBitW5eZv8RiuochUTaAv6izsr1CKFFA-noPdlFYokYKFtyzj53SGOhT1w9V7VcVABLlU6PRrCAFOxoBB_UyYHLRAkixU9h0pvK3KowCg
---

Written by Gnomeski
<details>
<summary>A little about Gnomeski </summary>
<br />

A curious non-native to Web3 currently exploring Metagame.
I work with text and some graphical elements with an emphasis on Social and Psychological aspects of this DAO space. 
Former long term off gridder/Boat Gypsy (Capitalism survivor), trained Medical Herbalist and diverse manual trades worker (Gardening, Landscaping, Stonework, Boat Renovator, Structural Repairs on historic buildings, Construction Carpentry) 
I aim to bring awareness from Psychodynamic Group work, Ritual self-dev work, Personal Psychotherapy journey and Alt approaches to personal freedom. 
I love to promote responsible Anarchic co-operation, humour, honesty, diversity, majik and integrity.

</details>
<p></p> 


The majority of communication in DAO spaces is written, so following this path should prove to be an active one. There are a number of differing styles and roles that can be pursued within these spaces that employ text. Due to the varied nature and styles of different DAOs it is impossible to describe a ‘one size fits all’ approach to writing. Instead here is a kind of mix and match set of ingredients which can hopefully be used for a variety of different recipes. 

  

Firstly let’s have a look at some general stuff.

  

So assuming you have joined your new DAO and have looked around and are liking what you see. Then here are some ideas for what to do next, towards getting your words flowing into the space.

  

-   Introduce your self and make your affinity for/interest in writing known. Any specialisms can be mentioned here, and what you are prepared to offer in terms of services, skills and time.
    
-   Find out if there is a dedicated space for writing and if so join there. Say Hi in that space and read what has been going on there. Find out who the main people are writing in the space.
    
-   Find out where lists of projects are if they exist.
    
-   Make contact with anyone who seems to be organising around writing.
    
-   If the DAO has payment possibilities, find out how that works.
    
-   Find out what is currently being worked on.
    
-   If there is a project opening you are prepared to take, let it be known and approved before making a start. Be sure you understand how to do it, what the expectations are. Get these verified if at all confused or unsure.
    
-   Show an interest in a variety of peoples written pieces and give some feedback on them.
    
-   Attend group calls for the general community and especially, any specifically related to writing. Again make your interest known. Ask about how to get more involved.
    

  

These above steps should have got you off to a start with your entry. Hopefully this will leads to some useful connections and understandings.

  

An initial look at some different types of writing that might be called upon can be summarised as follows.  
  

### Engaging Writing (Access)
Fast capture writing to hook a reader useful in introductions, shilling, newsletters, marketing, promotions, hyping.  

### Educational Writing (Knowledge) 
This can be especially effective within Web3 communities for Tutorials, Playbooks and generally in any explanatory context. Use of metaphors, links, lists, charts, diagrams and references can be useful here.

### Cultural Writing (Identity) 
This style transmits the ‘vibe’ of the community. The ethos (or lack of one), core aims, values, lingo and tribal style are expressed. Memes find a frequent home here.

  

### Creative Writing (Imagination and Fun) 
This is so diverse in its many forms. A few examples are using ‘story telling’ to illustrate points, explore new ideas, threats, develop vision/mission statements. Writing descriptively and with imagination in general.

 
### Informal Writing (Being you) 
It is okay to just be yourself in general chats, using abbreviations, dropping grammar where it is immaterial etc. Conversational style writing is also useful for levelling with and connecting to people and for humour in some types of content.

  

## Some possible applications

  

Scribing / Note taking
Write Summaries of Podcasts
Writing for a Newsletter
Writing Quests/Missions for members to pursue
Writing Questionnaires
Writing Playbooks such as this one
Go Rogue with Writing
Internal Reports
Shilling / Promo and media Scripts
Fiction / Mythos
Wiki / About

  

## Tips and tactics

  

**Where to start?** (Tuning in) Reading a variety of pieces (if they already exist) can help you reverse engineer a structure. You can even highlight a piece in different colours, each one for a different style, to get a more explicit and conscious understanding! If nothing similar to what you are planning exists, then seek some support and feedback before beginning, so you are confident to begin, which is often half the battle.

  

**Working** **with others** (Collaboration) Be respectful of others, find out how work is allocated before starting. Get the go ahead and communicate what you are doing to avoid duplicating work. Attend calls or use appropriate channels, forums, threads etc where working on a group project to keep up communications.

Be prepared to have your work scrutinised, criticised and edited by others during the honing process. If organising then choose times which are timezone sensitive to members.

  

**Research** **and** **writing** (Discovery) If drawing on others work, then use quotations or link to the work to avoid plagiarism. Be vocal about how much time you are spending on research so it is valued and your time use is understood. Consider use of open and closed questions when writing surveys and questionnaires, to help capture usable responses.

  

**Record Keeping** (Value capture) Is often used to take notes or make summaries of events or presentations, podcasts, videos etc. Find out if verbatim or ‘gist/essence’ based records are what is required. If there is an existing format, find it and use that or adapt it as required.

  

Remember you can achieve a lot with writing and if it is possible for a team to work together, then potentially, you could even find you have a publishing house on your hands!

  

Best of Luck and happy tapping...

<details>
<summary>For a longer version of this Playbook click here 👀...</summary>
<br />


  
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kjM6ubVa95ga390-RxhuX-YijQr8vNnjjDhIlWu0OCBitW5eZv8RiuochUTaAv6izsr1CKFFA-noPdlFYokYKFtyzj53SGOhT1w9V7VcVABLlU6PRrCAFOxoBB_UyYHLRAkixU9h0pvK3KowCg)**

# 📝 Entering DAOs as a Writer

  

The majority of communication in DAO spaces is written, so following this path should prove to be an active one. There are a number of differing styles and roles that can be pursued within these spaces that employ text. Due to the varied nature and styles of different DAOs it is impossible to describe a ‘one size fits all’ approach to writing. Instead here is a kind of mix and match set of ingredients which can hopefully be used for a variety of different recipes. These ingredients are here presented as a list of styles and possible uses/recipes are also presented as examples.

  

Firstly let’s have a look at some general stuff.

  

So assuming you have joined your new DAO and have looked around and are liking what you see. Then here are some ideas for what to do next, towards getting your words flowing into the space.

  

-   Introduce yourself and make your affinity for/interest in writing known. Any specialisms can be mentioned here, and what you are prepared to offer in terms of services, skills and time.
    
-   Find out if there is a dedicated space for writing and if so join there. Say Hi in that space and read what has been going on there. Find out who the main people are writing in the space.
    
-   Find out where lists of projects are if they exist.
    
-   Make contact with anyone who seems to be organising around writing.
    
-   If the DAO has payment possibilities, find out how that works.
    
-   Find out what is currently being worked on.
    
-   If there is a project opening you are prepared to take, let it be known and approved before making a start. Be sure you understand how to do it, what the expectations are. Get these verified if at all confused or unsure.
    
-   Show an interest in a variety of peoples' written pieces and give some feedback on them.
    
-   Attend group calls for the general community and especially any specifically related to writing. Again make your interest known. Ask about how to get more involved.
    

  

These above steps should have got you off to a start with your entry. Hopefully this will lead to some useful connections and understanding.

  

An initial look at some different types of writing that might be called upon can be summarised as follows.  
  

**Ingredients List**

- Engaging writing (Access)
- Educational writing (Knowledge)
- Cultural writing (Identity)
- Creative writing (Imagination and Fun)
- Informal writing (Being you)
- Cooking Instructions
- Working with others (Collaboration)
- Research and writing (Discovery)
- Record Keeping (Value capture)

  
  
  
  
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/byD2M0bg3_sHTTv64ieSWhtkXNhiGrUEgvZ9StMBRwtzeZblGIrjtJCBgjzCreRUBjY30b_2I_HArMe5E1d8UmBVYKROI_PpzfxDUAnRsBR0dE9M3rxDKnIUcljEwJjodvG4sGl4vE_hq-ly3w)  
  
  

## Some Useful Ingredients

  

**Engaging writing** is often used as a form of ‘fast capture’ of attention on the internet and in the media. It usually follows the K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid!) method for effective direct communications. This is in line with the often frantic speed of people’s brains and eyes as they search the web for what they seek. This searching often means people are scanning a lot. Their eyes are skipping across text, especially upon first encounter. These scanners seek to see how relevant written information is to their intent at the time and do so as quickly as possible. For this reason it is often the case that this writing follows the rule of the inverted triangle.

  
  
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/57s-yFi8mENUDK_NUtetKBcFTVAIVdw9tpBIq33E_AyIs5i05dpjGLzM0XVtZqppTdZrkbf2pYRk4Aa47VY50i9jrVOdT-WrxegzoHLZYxGUlpYoG3exzP2f9-6GHySSnMYuV44C7EVoQrat1w)

This means that the main essential points we want communicated should be front loaded in our article. These being scanned and hopefully found to be relevant can help to hook a reader. A speedy hook is the name of the game here. Then they may settle in for a more in depth read and we can get to some of the finer points as we move down our page/s.

  
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/YVsdyZzWpIXFIJddWpniCjNZTXokKxEZmAqdjG4UkI8NXKkrtW_iW33Iv4kpiBUXza4HSGmu62U5_aV_Uuy4tNkLJURgJvUVLAj8S1lZgI-QStYQ-t_OcHLfhN2_CPKUfsjIV1RuZ6l8LPeNjA)

This style can be likened to the use of keywords for search engine optimisation in websites. The difference here is we are not seeking to attract the Google bots to rank us asap. Instead here we seek to rank highly in the search engine that is a reader’s mind.

  

This style often used for Marketing and promotions is especially useful when shilling and for news aimed at the public. In general this is also useful for introductions to a number of pieces where we seek to facilitate a smooth and swift approach to our chosen subject matter. Our words in this style bring people from point to point with minimal effort.

  

The words become almost invisible as they provide a path of least resistance. This is not a time for being verbose, using slang or generally drawing any attention to the written word, or the persona of the writer. The subject’s immediacy and relevance are what is paramount to convey with this strategy of fast capture.

  

Hype is a spin off of the pursuit of fast capture and typically involves exaggerated enthusiasm and/or claims. While this can work initially, it must be understood that when this tactic is seen through, it will put people off and may leave them with a bad taste in their mouth. To avoid people later feeling like they have had a rug pulled out from under them, this ingredient should be used sparingly.

  
  
  
  
  

**Educational writing** is as for engaged writing in some senses with some additional elements. These elements may vary depending on the nature of the content. We may add more cultural writing elements in a socially educational piece, or follow a slightly more academic style if delivering more technical content for example. The similarity to engaging writing relates to wanting our writing to be stimulating.![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/mf13jMFjfwhaCCDyLxaNuPXQMBfOfXQv0olQQyCqduaP7q28_QG_t7t19GFvZG3DqX_SC8aDuCKxcRRNXzlZv5mKgbpn8f8aRVdEJdrXUR_tqtuutl5B8934LXvuCTqvz6nQhVzsddNZ3wof4w)

  

This kind of writing aims to be as simple, accessible and direct as possible, while conferring knowledge and can be especially effective within Web3 communities for Tutorials, Playbooks and generally in any explanatory context.

  

The use of questions in educational writing can be useful in a number of ways. We can ask questions and then go on to answer them, as is often the format seen in FAQ sections of websites. In FAQs this is often done in a specific question to answer, list format. Alternatively the questions may form a major premise in our introductions, which the article then goes on to address with answers. We may explore a subject for educational and thought provoking reasons and actually conclude with questions that seek to fuel the curiosity and intellect of a reader.

  

A common device in educational writing is the use of metaphor to help leverage the existing understanding of a reader. This can be very useful if our metaphor is similar enough to what we intend to explain. In each case we aim to transfer the meaning of the metaphor into the language of our own subject matter. This device is often used to establish a basic framework of understanding which we can then refine and detail as necessary. A number of metaphors may be used in sequence in this way to additionally assist deepening of understanding. It tastes a bit like chicken..

  

An educational writer may be more inclined to use lists. These lists should be created where possible with a rational and coherent structure.

  

An example of such a situation is a cooking recipe where a list may begin with the medium i.e. oils, butter, ghee that are to be cooked in.

Followed by vegetables and/or meats listed in the order in which they get added and followed by additives such as tins of tomatoes and finally spices.

Another approach is to list based on weights and volumes from greatest to smallest.

  

Some other examples of ordered listing are alphabetical, chronological or priority based structures. Similarly rational approaches should be used for tables, diagrams, illustrations and charts, particularly where they may be referenced more than once in a document.

  

The use of links in this kind of document presents a few possibilities and those are optional and mandatory links.

  

With optional links our writing flow should continue as if the link has not been clicked and read. These can be used where we are simply backing up, or elaborating on something we have mentioned. It provides an opportunity for someone to deepen an insight into a specific thing, to find proof of a statement, or to introduce a connected subject that may also be of interest.

  

Mandatory links need to be read in order to fully understand the discussed matter. In this case we should attempt to create a shift in our writing after the link to make this more evident, or openly state the importance of the linked content.

  

References can be used after an article, especially if it is potentially contentious to some people, or a new concept. Where these are used then the closer to the source of data the references lead, the more powerful they are likely to be.

  

Academic writing has conventions and formatting requirements which can be very discipline specific. These are considered specialisms that would generally not be expected of someone new to / untrained in a subject. Although of course anything is possible if someone is sufficiently motivated to do a lot of research.

  
  
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ns8KkfbCPlhwy46KS87JggpMcU-t9n5z01gh0I3txpEXhorAh-qYiSh98ltYgT0Dy5XvTXHk3igIDcuFaYa6dU-87wUDHUGL8jRku9rP8YpSnZHa0--LzHYZneYctp4WL7M_cDycdmidGEBPRQ)  

**Cultural Writing** is specific to the flavour and character of a community. Some communities may be quite formal and mainstream, even corporate seeming with high standards of preferred etiquette. Alternatively a DAO may enjoy a raucous, spicy and rowdy approach that includes profuse swearing, NSFW content and radical self expression for example. In any case the acceptability of a piece written for a community will always to some extent rely on the ability to write in a way that expresses it’s chosen approach.

  

These cultural styles act as filters to varying degrees, attracting aligned people and repelling those who are not. They also act as an ongoing sense of identity and can reinforce group bonding. Here jargon, slang and the DAO’s preferred ‘lingo’ can be freely used and celebrated when writing internal communications intended for the DAO itself. This lingo may be useful for outward facing communications as well, where the DAO seeks to express it’s flavour as a cultural transmission.

  

This cultural transmission in some cases may even be of greater importance than the full literal understanding by the public of every word they are reading! In such cases the DAO may be attractive to those who like the allure of a close knit / tribal or sub-cultural group. Here there is a sense of mysterious/artistic expression or uniqueness. People being attracted on this basis do so on the implied understanding that they will learn more as they go along.

  

In many cases both cultural and literal communications can be achieved (if desired) by saying the same thing in differing ways, one full of colour and another as clarification.

  

Moral and ethical positions are important things to be aware of. For example certain terms may be considered offensive to certain groups and not others. Further to this, is the collective mission statement a DAO may be formed under. This should explicitly or implicitly inform the flavour of language that is used, to varying degrees depending upon context.

  

Socially directed pieces will likely be expected to express some, or all, of the core values quite openly at some point for example. While a tutorial about using a piece of software would not require such an element. To some extent the acquisition of a cultural understanding as a writer, as for anyone, will be a matter of time spent involved. A broad sense of general values should be evident early on, such as assertive professionalism or laid back friendliness.

  

By learning the trademarks of other styles of writing being covered in this guide, it is hoped, will aid in helping to identify how cultural writing is woven into a particular DAO’s existing content that you read. The more clearly this can be seen and understood, the better it can be used in a sympathetic and powerful way in your writing. In any case, the amount of flavour being used and considered appropriate, is just as important as the actual flavour itself.

  
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/D6CD_hfhKVtzGljmlHcdqRFuRck1vvZ7E__4QLhVovUFePMXW4CEDrx2mcU5cgFIGklLRV8JIj_eDRi5tXbsK4_H85BufWbncwfP2r6IiyXx_gV9_0cZ70YSo2TZzAHrsS6r8nhbIOH8jRaS4w)

**Creative writing** consists of the whole diverse world of artistic expression with text. The many forms this can take should be evident to any writer. Within DAO spaces, it may be that creative writing is called for at times and to varying degrees. An imaginative element may be required within a variety of pieces. Sometimes the introduction of a new idea, say, might be accompanied by a story that illustrates an important theme.

  

Parables and tales are useful devices that can describe a subjective process or situation. This parallels the use of metaphors in an educational document about something objective. In fact the two can merge and overlap in interesting ways, depending on subject matter. Engaging the imagination of a reader is pretty much always a useful thing to do. For this reason a creative element could appear in almost any kind of writing.

  

The very nature of DAOs, includes their intended lack of hierarchical structures (generally speaking) as they encourage and empower us to be autonomous and yet collaborative, as associations of free agents. So unlike in the usual formal workplace structures of the ‘real world’, every person’s imagination is potentially of greater value and may have more impact as a result.

  

Descriptive writing is certainly a powerful way to convey feelings. Instead of simply directly saying I felt X, Y or Z when blah blah happened, we can elaborate on an experienced moment, making it feel vivid, personal and unique. This sharing of human experience is often a lot easier to relate to, showing nuance and complexity and increasing understanding by others, who may in turn share their thoughts and experiences. In essence this is one of the purposes of storytelling circles and is an ancient practice that still continues worldwide today.

  

Myths throughout time have been used to transmit important messages. Some people today view such things as primitive, unenlightened and naive. There is however no denying the power a story can have to engage the mind. It stands to reason after tens of thousands of years of oral tradition, that this is something that can stir us as deeply as a campfire does, often more. There is nothing naive about the human imagination, that is the source of so many visions and inventions. The development of new technology comes from being able to visualise something that does not currently exist after all. Like all muscles, this faculty needs to be exercised too.

  

Another use of imaginative writing is to explore possible future scenarios, that may be good, bad, funny or whatever. In this way we project various possibilities into the unknown. Creating our ideal futures and anticipating possible obstacles and threats, can help inform us what actions are best taken now.

  

If we are lucky enough to be asked to, or if we just feel like sharing out of our own generosity of expression, there are so many ways we can share creatively. From writing myths, stories, anecdotes, prose, poetry, songs or whatever, there is a lot of scope to celebrate, elaborate, decorate and illustrate with words.

  

Really, it is not possible to cover all the potential uses of creative expression that may be relevant to DAOs with them all being so diverse. All I can do here is point out a few examples and restate that this is still a very relevant component of community and communication, which can reach us on unconscious levels as well as inspire us consciously. The degree to which this view is shared, will vary from DAO to DAO.

  
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zVfo6Ef8PpNgo6XX_jjPfHVuzCyW3VzlEscNI7r_LlsirPHztpyXAOYpiDP5HH23eIiOZ89yaj47aPook1JRkoVLmeS2FJoBtyfo9dmPTv0XMqOB3u3YBXM0269cyUb_3b_1-HHR7qOfdTWtLA)

**Informal Writing** includes all the usual writings we do just communicating about anything such as with text messages or on busy forum threads. As many communities are basically built largely around text exchanges, this means to some extent, we are our words. In addition to this, informal style relates to having a conversational vibe to writing as part of an actual piece.

  

Being conversational and chatty with writing can warm people to your work, if used in the right context. Writing in the first person, being reflective, asking rhetorical questions, sharing insights, experiences, feelings and anecdotes can definitely set a relaxed tone, helping to lower inhibitions.

  

This might be useful to help the reader lower their guards around a tricky subject where trust is needed. It might be used as part of the background to sharing some philosophical thought. It might be the general approach for something comical or satirical. This style of writing can unnerve some people who are not so sure about your intimacy in which case they may react by actually becoming more guarded and even suspicious of you. So the degree to which this is used will vary a lot between target readerships and desired outcomes. Potentially the applications are wide ranging.

  

As a writer it can for some be a bit of an obsession to always be correcting every minor typo we make. Our interpersonal informal communications can be a place to do this and practise things we are weak on. Personally I like to generally not be so bound by the analytical mind in this area. I want to be me, as I am at the time to a greater degree. Basically being so ‘up-tight’ with our wording even when ‘off duty’ is optional. I mean it may depend on the space you have chosen to be involved in, as to how informal most people are. I suggest that as a liberating exercise we spend a day a week where we do not correct any typos or small grammatical errors. Use slang or text speak if you fancy and generally let things just naturally be.

  

As long as ‘wot u rite’ is understandable, it is not actually always important to others that we be so correct. This of course may not appeal to everyone. Personally I have found it relaxing and I can come across as my genuine, less than perfect, ‘sofa-self’ this way.. Just a thought. Some may see this as lazy. Whatever feels most like being yourself is good. The ‘do easy’ approach, where possible, can free up attention and energy for more important tasks. This is where what looks like laziness to some, can actually be efficient.

  

For the majority of spaces it is a good idea to practise non violent communication. Vernacular Prime where all tenses of the verb ‘to be’ including am, are, is, etc, are removed from the language, is a good fall back system to be aware of, should you ever find yourself in ‘troll country’, or a heated debate/argument. This tool can help you to watch how you are coming across while emotionally charged.

  

**Some possible applications** 

  

- Scribing / Note taking
- Write Summaries of Podcasts
- Writing for a Newsletter
- Writing Quests/Project Plans
- Writing Questionnaires
- Writing Playbooks such as this one
- Go Rogue with Writing
- Internal Reports
- Shilling / Promo Scripts
- Fiction / Mythos
- Wiki / About

  
  
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wVJIvrVS-4iLXnibf3Hnlrf8ZiJQG_lyOjr6hDFMFRpa3thC3152t2DIHEGcTbVVUpYpC3N_CAMSyfoIdk0hXyKhBHRSIBFvwparOavtjV0A3REalcwzC66o_ccMfDuJDYGd2flgEb31mcatA)

## Cooking Instructions

  

Working together is a possibility and a benefit of being part of a community. This may be a new idea for you and you may prefer to work alone still. A couple basic benefits of connecting with others is for feedback and helping each other with editing/proofreading. We can all be a bit blind to our own writing and fresh eyes can really help a lot for this reason.

  

Sometimes if we are writing on behalf of a group it may be required that our work is put up for feedback and adjustment. This might involve uploading a document on Google docs, or equivalent platform, and dropping a link for others to either comment or edit the work. It can be difficult to see our work chopped up. Cherished bits being dissected, removed or changed, can feel quite violating. Especially seeing changes happen which you disagree with. Not everyone is up for this. The thing that is tough with this is relinquishing a sense of ownership. This is the spirit of collaboration however and so we must to a degree ‘get over ourselves’.

  
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3gPbm5v7IhEC3w9stMwFM356WSw-icuqaxX__Acc1jaSi4qZqDVRK5twAT4Me6rQHTNo2uBtMGqtfTlGAZxDXlk0HjeGebjon0MxQQPgic5Kpcy3YaHahcUKM9PprpH9iwc1JX165GknQkhb7w)

An issue with granting broad editing permissions is someone may come and change something irreversibly (have a back up) and actually make the piece worse as a result. A hatchet job. For this reason it is best to stick to commenter permissions, (unless you have developed a lot of trust in someone, which takes time) so that you can discuss or fend off certain suggestions. Some proposed changes may need to be put out for wider feedback if there is a persistent sticking point. Again, this is a good reason why it is useful to have some others who are interested in writing at the ready, to discuss things with. A micro vote might even be useful.

  

There are certain etiquettes that communicate respect and should be observed. If you are editing someone's work and you decide it best to make some sweeping changes, then discuss it with them first. If there are individuals running a writing collective in a DAO, then it is good to discuss work plans with them and/or post in a relevant thread about writing projects. There are a few reasons for this.

  

-   So two or more people do not work on the same piece without awareness that it is already a work in progress. This of course is likely to waste time and effort and may generate tension, or hopefully just laughter and the exchange of Homer Simpson memes.
    

  

-   So that you may be pointed to work that is of a higher priority and so considered more valuable at the time.
    

  

-   Cherry picking of prized projects without being willing to do more basic/grounded, or even boring work, can cause alienation of your peers.
    

  

-   Sometimes in a group access to the most fun projects may come after demonstration of commitment and ability on other stuff.
    

  

It is also possible that a large piece of work may be cut up into sections or chapters. In this case we need to be aware of the expected writing style, the favoured tense and other such essentials like the scope of that section, it’s length etc. Where certain words are freely interchangeable with others in someone's work, try to avoid stubborn pedanticism.

  

If you find yourself organising a group project, be sure people are happy and understand what is desired from them. Try to avoid cluttering up a project with too many people, or by having unclear parameters, where work may overlap. Too many cooks spoil the broth!

  

Group working, whether loose or close, is best tied together by online meetings. These are group calls you can organise, or find organised by other writers involved in a project, guild, or other kind of initiative. They might be voice only or video conference types of call. These calls can be great ways to communicate all sorts of things and support each other and seek consensus. Messaging by text is also good. If there is not a designated area/forum where a group’s projects can be discussed, then suggest one is created for the purpose, or set one up.

  

If you feel you are experiencing levels of communication that impede your concentration on the actual doing of the work, then consider using, silent, do not disturb, or other settings that allow your focus to be steady and in an uninterrupted flow for periods.

  

Generally wherever collaboration is occurring communication will play an important role. So if you are in a group workflow and there is little communication, then reach out. Consider asking for, or organising, a group call and invite everyone involved or interested to it. Be sure to try and fit this into a time slot that overlaps favourably with as many members’ timezones and availability as possible.

  
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Research and writing often go hand in hand. It is rare to just know everything about all the things we put down in words. So we want to go and learn, verify our facts or statements, or find supporting viewpoints that may give us new insights we can share or reflect on.

  

Of course research is one thing and plagiarism something else entirely. If we are going to copy someone else's work we should present it as an annotated quotation or link to it. Otherwise our words should be our own. The internet is full of copy-cat websites that all have identical text. Not only is this a sign of laziness and theft, but it also makes ‘your’ article less likely to be read. I mean it has probably already been read elsewhere, like possibly in the place where the originator first posted it! :P

  

Some famous professional writers employ researchers to go and find out all kinds of things while they write away. What was the main reason for the control of the Syphilis epidemic in the early 20th century? Has Area 51 ever been completely opened up to the public and free press to explore, and if so what are the details? This could be mimicked with a large project that lots of people wanted to be involved in.

  

Some pieces of work involve a hell of a lot of research and it may take even more time than the actual writing. Readers do not necessarily comprehend the work involved when reading the finished piece. For this reason, if you have a payment system linked to people's approval ratings of your contributions and efforts, you may want to post about your research separately from the final written product. This can increase your chances of being valued appropriately for all your work.

  

As stated in the Educational Writing section, references could be used to direct readers to follow up with reading into sources.

  

Writing itself can be used for research purposes in the form of questionnaires or surveys. In structuring these it helps to consider what sort of data you want. How will it be used? If you want to have very clear and distinct categories to arise from your questions, then closed questions and multiple choice formats suit this well.

  

Closed questions are structured in a way that limits the answers down to a small number of possible responses, which are short in nature, such as yes, no, maybe, other.. Multiple choice questions work this same way but with a slightly more specific format. These questions lead to data that is most easily used statistically.

  

Open questions are those that can lead to a wide variety of answers. These answers may be of unbound length or confined to a certain word count. We see these commonly when being set an essay to write. Philosophical questions can be some of the most open ended questions possible for example, and give rise at times to debates which last for centuries! Open questions are best when trying to promote sharing of ideas and opinions, for broad types of brainstorming, for exploring unknown areas of thought and opinion and many other pursuits of expansive and varied feedback. These are most likely to make people chatty and answers can also be surprising.  
  

Can we write about things which are new to us by doing our research thoroughly?  
DYOR (Do Your Own Research) – Write Article – Get Article verified for required edits by someone who is native to the subject.. complete edits and publish!

  
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Record Keeping in text is often found in the form of taking notes during scheduled group calls. Although there is no reason why you cannot take notes at other times, if others who you are recording are fine with that.

  

Depending on the conventions of a DAO these records may be as actual minutes i.e; verbatim (word for word) notes, or a more informal ‘gist’ based notation. Gist based is focused on capturing essential specifics, salient points and general message, rather than being verbatim. It is better suited to fast moving exchanges with numerous participants. It can also help cut out off-topic chat, making the notes more streamlined to read back over. This is easier to keep up with also, for those of us who are not touch typists.

  

In both cases it may be of use to record the event so you can refer back to the recording where it is hard to hear someone at first. Some people have heavy accents, or other sounds can interfere with clarity of voice at the time, so recording helps reduce loss of information.

  

If at the time of the meeting you notice that something has been missed and is unlikely to be captured in the recording then do speak up. Apologise for the intrusion and get the clarity you need.

  

There may be a note taking format that has been used before which you can find. If the space is a newborn, or note taking is just beginning then make your own format. I was lucky enough in this that the person before, thankfully made a note taking document template, and instructions for what to do with notes after they are made. If no such things exist you can suggest they be created and/or seek guidance on how to best proceed.

  
  
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**Baking a Dream Pie**

  

Here is an idea you could literally do, or it can just be useful as a mental exercise to imagine as you read this.. So read some articles (if they exist!) within your DAO that are likely to have a similar structure to the one you propose to write. By this, I mean they are of a similar subject matter, aim to achieve comparable outcomes and have the same kind of audience. Now you are going to put it through your analyser, by nibbling on each little bit of it at a time. This will definitely help you tell what ingredients it is made up of. Soon you will be able to reverse engineer it’s recipe.

  

1.  Firstly read it through taking it in well, mentally noting the kind of ingredients that seem obvious and any parts where they seem to change.
    
2.  Now make a colour key of the different kinds of writing.. Red for engaging, Blue for knowledge, Yellow for Cultural or whatever.
    
3.  Next copy the text and paste into a word doc if you can.
    
4.  Now read it through a number of times. Each time, have a specific kind of writing in mind, such as Cultural writing for example. Now when you find elements that taste strongly of that, you highlight them with a specific colour.
    
5.  Scan it through for each type of ingredient and highlight accordingly. Now take as close a guess as you can at what percentage of each colour you have found in that writing.
    
6.  Make a Pie Chart from it!
    

  

So while I expect it is unlikely for you to actually carry out these steps, if you did I reckon it would work well! The importance of this process is that re reading an article looking for specific things can help to uncover its various layers. Or the lack of variety in the piece.

  
  
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**Make Your Own Recipes**  
  
So hopefully once you start to get a feel for the kind of ingredients that go into the works that are already part of your DAO, you can use them and appeal to the tastes of your consumers. Not only that, now you can have a rational basis on which to add some different twists to things. Complementing and diversifying the writing culture you find yourself involved in.

  

Then there is always the option of sometimes just doing things in exactly the way you want and to hell with rules or expectations of others! At Metagame we call this The Rogue Path.

  

All I have written above is to help you to navigate into a DAO and also a possible way of looking at writing in general, in case you are new to the subject. If not then I hope you have still found a few points useful.

  

Remember you can achieve a lot with writing and if it is possible for a team to work together, then potentially, you could find you have a publishing house on your hands!

  

Best of Luck, have fun and I hope to see you around!

  

Gnomeski

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