# Presentation slides and writer's block

DevFeed: [Presentation slides and writer's block](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/presentation-slides-and-writer-s-block-35544.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://meowni.ca/posts/slides-writers-block/>)

Author: Monica Dinculescu

Published: 2014-04-09T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Monica Dinculescu](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/monica-dinculescu.md>)

Topics: [Template](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/template.md>), [Markdown](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/markdown.md>), [gist](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/gist.md>), [C](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/c.md>), [C++](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/c-plus-plus.md>), [Java](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/java.md>)

Tags: [c-plus-plus](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/c-plus-plus.md>), [gist](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/gist.md>), [java](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/java.md>), [markdown](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/markdown.md>), [presentation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/presentation.md>), [template](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/template.md>)

## AI overview

The author describes a workflow for overcoming writer's block when creating presentation slides: outline the talk, let the outline develop, use a simple presentation template focused on content, and rehearse with presenter's notes.

## Source excerpt

I am the poster child for writer's block. I can't write the #ifdef header guard correctly for a brand new C++ class, I don't remember the order of the public static void main args incantation in Java, and for the life of me, I can't start working on an empty presentation. Not even if you promise me pizza. (Please promise me pizza though.) Start with an outline There's already an amazing speaking.io post about writing outlines which you should read. The tl;dr is that you start with the top-level things that you want to talk about (feel free to s/2Pac/Biggie/g in that example if a) you have good taste or b) you're from the East Coast because c) yolo), and then slowly, but with gumption, start developing dem ideas. I personally take that post literally and write my outline as a markdown gist. The top-level ideas are ## headers, the supporting points are sub-bullets, and there's a lot of "???. Profit!" and notes to future-Monica, because present-Monica is usually a jerk. Time to procrastinate This is great! You have an outline! You deserve a break. No, really; take a break. I let this baby stew for a couple of days, so that it gets nice and tender. Nobody likes an undercooked outline. It's also not a terrible idea at this point to ask some of your friends to read your outline and tell you if this would be a talk they wouldn't hate listening to. Time for Skeletor™ Once you think you've procrastinated enough and it's time to actually work on your presentation, you'll be tempted to start thinking about slide design, typefaces, and the kind of cat gifs you'll include for bonus points. Don't. I mean, definitely include cat gifs, but that time isn't now. I'm pretty sure "being OCD about typography" is correlated with "being really good at writer's block", so I can promise that you'll waste many evenings choosing drop shadows before you realize how screwed you are for content. I've sorted this out by having a really basic presentation template, affectionately named Skeletor, t