You’re unsure how to tackle your work. Has that ever happened to you? You have a big idea, a shiny, awesome dream, but you have no idea how to begin. No wonder you compensate in some soothing way – tv, solitaire, food, shopping, cleaning, drinking, gambling, or murder.

‘Cuz it’s a good idea. And… now, what? You’re already feeling like you probably can’t do such a big, wonderful thing. Before you give up, and eat ice cream, here’s a wonderful clarifying tool that can put you on your way to your thing.

It’s called Know/Wonder, and it originates in Gray’s Anatomy (not the tv show, the anatomy text book, published first in 1858.)

Know/Wonder begins to separate the wheat from the chaff.

How do you clarify the challenges of the project and get it started? How do you go from giant, life-altering vision, to tiny tasks and to-do lists. (And for me, when I’m in the grips of a beautiful idea, why would you want to?) Tiny tasks and to-do lists are how you get going, share your work and visualize your path to said vision. Know/Wonder bridges the gap from cosmic muffin in your mind, to practical realities, tasks, teams and bringing your muffin into the real world. (And assuming your muffin is made with flour, separating the wheat from the chaff is the first step in the process.)

Make a Know/Wonder chart for your project.

  • Some of you might have used this chart format in school for problem solving. To start a Know/Wonder chart, write your vision succinctly, across the top of a full page or poster board, for example:

“It Would Be Great If I could write this blah blah blah novel.” or

“I wish I had time in my day for writing.”

  • Then draw a line below the goal statement.  Next, draw a vertical line to the bottom of the page, forming a T with the first line, making 2 columns.
  • Head one column with the word “KNOW.” Head the other column with the word “WONDER.”

So far, easy-peasy, right? You’ve got an empty chart with your stated goal up top. That specific goal language is important for setting your brain up for success in thinking about this goal. So use it, instead of words like: “I want, ” or “I need” or “I have to…”. Read more about this language here.

And now you have a chart with two columns: KNOW and WONDER.

What do you know about your vision? Write these things down in the KNOW column. It is helpful to alternate colors as you write things you know. That way, when you scan them later, they are easier to absorb and respond to individually.

Now, in the WONDER column… look at the things you know, and see what they make you wonder. For instance, you may know a lot about the setting for your new novel, and that might make you wonder… “what will that workplace be like 56 years in the future?”

You many know you want to base a character on your grumpy neighbor, and that makes you wonder… How to imagine a grumpish character in a colony on Mars, where he is the immigrant.

In the KNOW column, you can write, “300 manuscript pages,” and in the WONDER column you might write… “Are science fiction books longer or shorter than my usual genre?”

What if you just finished your first screenplay… and you don’t even know what you don’t know?

It can be daunting, but we all start somewhere. and the first step is to identify what you KNOW and what you WONDER about. Notice I didn’t say, what you don’t know. It is clear you can’t know what you don’t know. And it is also unproductive to dwell in an area of “defect” or “difficulty.” The word WONDER drums up an interest, a curiosity and an eagerness to learn. You will still need to learn things, but beginning from WONDER will keep you engaged and empowered.

Know/Wonder will start to make your vision become a reality. Accept the uncertainty and wade in. It worked out well for Gray. That Gray guy was pretty smart. How many people can claim, as their legacy, the only textbook in the world, still in continuous use, since 1858, AND a hit Golden Globe and Emmy-winning television series in its 14th season? That is a pretty good writer with some amazing vision!

In the meantime, you can ask questions about things you wonder in the Write Without the Fight FB group – your fellow writers and I might have some insights and resources for you. If you haven’t joined already, ask to join.